Caribbean Love
by Mystic Lady Fae
Summary: Formerly WillOC, now JackOC. Pirates only lust, not love, right? All women are alike to our favorite pirate captain. How will Fate change the mind of Captain Jack Sparrow?
1. Tortuga Meetings

Disclaimer: Will Turner and Jack Sparrow don't belong to me, just Disney (damn it). 

AN: A whole new world.uh, I mean, story. Sorry, had a Disney/Aladdin moment. Anyway, here is my Will/OC story! Oh, I also have Jack in it since he's important, but it's mostly about Will. I hope that people like it as much as they liked my Jack Sparrow works. If not, I'll have to trash it. Anyway, enjoy the story!

**Chapter 1: Tortuga Meetings**:

Elena Marks scrubbed a table in the Ragged Dog Inn, occasionally wiping her forehead and silently bemoaning her fate. It just wasn't fair! Her father had been a prominent and wealthy merchant, but after those blasted pirates had attacked and destroyed her father's small fleet of merchant vessels, Elena had been left with nothing. All of her father's ships now lay at the bottom of the Caribbean, its riches spread throughout many pirate hangouts. In a way, it was Elena's fault. If she hadn't insisted on going to the Caribbean to see her aunt, and if her father hadn't insisted on coming to take her back to England, the pirate attack would never have happened. Now her father was dead and in Heaven with her mother, and Elena was alone, stranded in Tortuga. Those blasted pirates had killed or captured all of the men in the fleet, including her father, but had spared Elena, saying that they didn't kill or imprison women. Instead, they had abandoned her here in Tortuga, leaving her to etch out her own living. Now, six months later, she was still scrubbing tables and not able to get out of this hellhole; her job didn't pay enough for that to happen, and it might take years to save up that much money.

Growling under her breath, she returned to scrubbing the table in front of her, her light-brown eyes angry as she pushed another auburn lock of hair out of her eyes. As she finished scrubbing, she heard a voice roar from the kitchen.

"Hey, Red, get in here! Ye need to cook for the customers!" That was her cue, Red being people's nickname for her because of her reddish- brown/auburn hair.

Elena sighed as she wiped her hands on her cleaning rag. The tavern's owner, a fat rat of a man called Tommy Nash, hated cooking for his customers, but the sale of food brought in more people. Since none of the other girls could cook, the task fell to Elena. Personally, she was glad; cooking came more naturally to her than scrubbing tables, and her aunt had taught her how to cook everything under the sun, and to make it taste good. Unfortunately, Tommy pretended not to notice that more people had started coming in after Elena had started cooking; if he had, he would have to pay her more for bringing in more custom.

As she made her way to the kitchen, a hand clasped over her arm, forcing her to turn around in surprise and panic. The only people who had grabbed her arms in this place always wanted her to bed with them. Elena was lucky that her boss didn't want his barmaids becoming pregnant, forbidding them the business of bedding the customers; he had whores for that task. Elena readied herself, preparing to fight if necessary. Fortunately, the owner of the hand let go as soon as he had her attention.

"Hello, luv," commented the man. Elena blinked.

He was an odd looking character. Beads and bones were woven into his hair, which was styled in some sort of braided locks. He sported a red bandana, a blue captain's coat and worn three-cornered hat, as well as a belt with a sword, pistol, and other effects. What made her uncomfortable was the fact that he was smiling at her, showing off gold-capped teeth. He was handsome, but he was a bit too scruffy for Elena's taste.

"May I help you, sir?" she asked politely. "I'm afraid the place won't be serving food or drinks for another hour, so you'll have to wait."

"Actually, I'm here to see ye," he said, smiling even wider.

Elena's heart sank. "I'm sorry, sir, but I'm not one of your pleasure- girls," she said, lifting her head up high. "I'm a simple barmaid, nothing more. You'll have to speak to my employer for such things."

The man raised an eyebrow. "That was a nice little speech, but that's not what I'm here to talk to ye about," he said, now grinning in a more friendly, and not so animalistic, way. "I hear that ye're the one cookin' in the back there."

Elena kept her face expressionless. "I'm afraid that you are mistaken, sir," she said, crossing her arms. "My employer has each of us share in the workload."

The man chuckled. "Now don't ye start lying to a pirate; they can always tell when ye do," he said, smirking at her. "Besides, I've had the food here many times before, and it's always been bad. Ever since ye started workin' here, though, the food tastes better than the horse-droppings it used to resemble."

Elena shifted uncomfortably under his gaze before she sighed. "Alright, you're right," she said, her arms still crossed. "So what's it to you?"

He smiled. "I'd like to hire ye to cook on me ship," he said, his chest inflating with pride at saying that he had a ship. He suddenly saw a look of doubt settle on her face.

"I don't even know you," she said.

"Fair enough," he said, extending his hand towards her. "Captain Jack Sparrow, at yer service."

Her jaw dropped. She was talking to a living legend? 'Oh, my goodness,' she thought. 'He is real! I thought Papa had made him up, but he's real!' She noticed that he was beginning to look a bit upset at her not responding.

"Oh, Elena Marks," she said, taking his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Captain Sparrow."

He smiled. "With ye being a lovely lady, ye can call me Jack," he said, bowing to her. "Now, will ye be joining me on my ship, lass? This is a one time offer, and I desperately need a cook on me ship."

"What will you be paying me in return, Captain?" Elena asked, hiding her excitement.

"Free passage to everywhere we go, and ye get some pick of whatever treasure we raid," Jack replied, his hands resting on his belt. "Ye can also share a cabin with the other female on the ship, Annamaria. What do ye say?"

"How long will I be staying on your ship?" she asked. "Will I be able to get off anytime I want?"

Jack frowned for a brief moment. "I'd like ye to stay onboard for at least a year, me crew deserves to have good food for that long," he said. "After that, I'll drop ye off anywhere ye want. Do we have an accord?" he asked, extending his hand towards her.

Elena frowned in thought. All she had to do was stay onboard for a year and then she'd be free to go as she pleased! Perhaps she could be taken back to her aunt's house in Jamaica! She looked over at the pirate who stood before her, then looked at his hand. Finally, she made up her mind.

She reached out and shook his hand. "We do," she said. "When do we leave?"

He released her hand. "In five days," he replied. "The crew needs a few days off after so much excitement, and they need to spend their money somehow. I'll meet ye here in five days."

She nodded. "I'll be here," she replied. He nodded before vanishing into the chaos outside.

After he had disappeared, Elena leapt into the air in excitement, letting out a small squeal of joy before going into the kitchen. As she donned an apron and headed for the stove, she felt someone grab her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Sally, a blond-haired, hazel-eyed prostitute who worked at the Ragged Dog, glaring at her. Inwardly, Elena winced. She and Sally hadn't gotten along since Elena had been employed at the Ragged Dog, primarily because Sally thought she was trying to become a favorite of Tommy's by doing all kinds of "work" (meaning 'cozying up' to the customers while serving food and drinks) at the inn. In truth, Elena was trying to be a good employee by working hard at filling orders for food and drinks, not by falling into bed with the patrons.

"I heard what went on out there," she ground out at Elena. "You've been here for six months and already you've got a ship out of here, on the Black Pearl no less, all just because ye can cook!" She stepped closer to Elena, who stepped back. "I've been here for eight years and no one's ever offered to take me away!" Before Sally could say anything further, Tommy entered the kitchen.

"What are the two of ye doing?" he said, placing his fists on his hips. "Red, get the food cooking, we've got custom coming here in less than an hour!" he said to Elena. He turned towards Sally. "Sal, I want ye polishing cups, go on now!" Sally gave Elena one last glare before going out towards the bar. Tommy caught the glare and turned to Elena. "Alright, Red, what's got Sally hating you? I don't need trouble between my girls."

Elena sighed. "I accepted another job on a pirate ship as their cook," she said, not making eye-contact with her employer. She grabbed several hunks of meat on the counter and cut them into slices before rubbing them with herbs. As she set the slices to cook on the stove, she realized that Tommy had gone quiet. She turned around slowly, expecting an angry face, but was shocked when she saw nothing except concern.

"A pirate ship?" asked Tommy. "What ship hired ye?"

"The Black Pearl," Elena replied, wondering if she had made the wrong choice.

Tommy's eyes widened. "Captain Jack Sparrow hired ye?" he asked, surprised. "Well, that is good news, I'd expected another ship, but ye can't go wrong with Captain Jack Sparrow looking out for ye!"

Elena relaxed. "So it's alright if I go and work for him in five days?" she asked, hoping for his approval. She was extremely relieved when he nodded.

"Jack Sparrow's a good man, lass, ye have nothing to fear from him," Tommy said, smiling as he clapped her on the shoulder. "Jack and I go way back, we do! I couldn't be happier for ye, lass!" He patted her shoulder again before going out front to ready the alcohol ready for the night.

As Elena finished cooking meat slices for the customers, she began to wonder what sort of man Jack Sparrow was, and where in the world working for him would take her.

AN: Yes, I know it's weird for me to update so fast, but my home state's been getting all of this snow, and I haven't gone to school in days. All of my homework is done, so now I have way too much free time. I've been wondering what rating to make this story, but it might be PG-13 or R, depending. Anyway, please leave a review! Thank you!


	2. The Black Pearl

Disclaimer: Still don't own the Pirate hunk from the movie, damn it. 

AN: Okay, since I got more positive response for my Jack stories than from this one, I've decided to turn this into a Jack/OC story. I hope that people who liked this as a Will/OC story will forgive me for changing it, but that's my decision. Enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 2: The Black Pearl**:

From his semi-hidden spot at a corner table, Jack watched the barmaid, Elena, serve food and drinks to patrons from behind the safety of the bar. He didn't blame her; as a pirate, he knew what sort of things some of his fellow raiders could do to a girl. Of course, the Ragged Dog was different. The owner, Tommy, had been a sailor once, and he hadn't liked the way folks kept bothering the barmaids; when he opened his own tavern in Tortuga, he made it known that anyone who messed with the servers wouldn't be welcomed back. If someone really wanted some female attention, they could play with the prostitutes that Tommy kept for those purposes.

Jack took another sip from his mug of rum. He was trying to keep an eye on the lass that would be cooking on his ship, primarily because he didn't want anyone else to steal the girl, and her cooking talents, from right under his nose. He snorted in amusement as he took another drink of rum; if someone did try and steal from Jack Sparrow, they'd be killed three different ways before they hit the ground! Barbossa was proof of that.

As Jack took another sip of rum, one of Tommy's prostitutes came up to him and took a seat across the table from him. She was a pretty thing, with blond hair and hazel eyes, but there was something in her eyes that looked familiar; it was a look that said that she would give him what he wanted if she got something in return; Jack quirked an eyebrow.

"Can I help ye?" he asked, leaning back in his chair, sipping his rum.

The blond smiled. "I hope so," she said, leaning forward, showing off her cleavage.

Jack took a small peek (he was only human, after all), but otherwise resisted. He raised his eyes up to meet hers, putting on a look of boredom. "Those are very nice, luv, but let's cut the small-talk," he said, sipping his rum. "What is it ye want?"

Her body somewhat twitched in surprise before she put on a flirtatious smile. "I was hoping we could cut a deal," she said, leaning in closer. "I'll give ye all the pleasures that ye want, _if_ ye get me off of this island." She gave him a seductive glance, obviously hoping to win him over.

Jack simply smiled. "Sorry, darling, but two women on my ship is all my men can take," he said, taking another sip of rum. He watched the girl jolt back in anger, inwardly smirking at her response to his words. "I don't mean to hurt ye, luv, but it's the truth. I already got a female crewmember _and_ a new _female_ cook, so having another isn't an option."

Her hazel eyes sparked with desperation. "But I'll do _any_thing to get out of here," she pleaded, reaching out for him, attempting to use innocence to appeal to him.

Jack looked at her hand. He definatelyknew better than that, though. He'd seen it before, when other prostitutes had asked for the same thing. He had experienced this before, and had lived to regret it. "Sorry, but that's out of the question," he said, watching her reaction. "I can't afford to do it."

The girl gritted her teeth before standing up and stalking away. Jack chuckled under his breath before turning back to the red-haired woman behind the bar. Finally, after watching her for another hour, Jack finished off his rum and got up to leave, the blond glaring hate at him from across the room. Jack simply tipped his hat and left. He made a mental note to not come back until it was time to retrieve his cook.

After five days of waiting, Elena was more than ready to hang up her cleaning rag in the Ragged Dog and trade it for a chef's apron on the Black Pearl. She couldn't be more excited! Tommy had given her that week's wages, plus a little extra in thanks for bringing in more customers with her cooking; the extra money was also for quickly training a replacement in the kitchen. Personally, Elena was happy to provide a new cook for Tommy, since he wasn't really that bad of an employer and had been willing to let her go so easily; most employers wouldn't even consider such a thing, should it happen to their girls.

Sighing, Elena finished packing up the few belongings that she had managed to acquire in Tortuga. The last few days had been both a blessing and a nightmare. The thrill of escaping the life of Tortuga was wonderful, as was the thrill of finally being able to get back to her aunt. The nightmare part was Sally shadowing everywhere she went. The blond prostitute always followed Elena's step with a sneer on her face, obviously still angry at the fact that the new girl was able to get a ship out of Tortuga before she could.

Again Elena sighed; it wasn't her fault that this had happened to her, or that she had talents in better areas than prostitution! Pirates would only stay with a prostitute for so long before they got tired of them and abandoned them, but every ship needed a cook. Tommy had worked on a ship once, he told her, and everyone knew not to mess with the ship's cook, otherwise they would be eating something that could sicken or kill them later. This information certainly made Elena feel better; she certainly didn't want to have to fight off unwanted advances or anything else on a pirate ship! She really wanted to live to see her aunt's house again.

After making sure that she had everything, Elena gathered her small pack and moneybag, glancing around her room once more before heading downstairs, where Tommy stood in the middle of the tavern floor, a large grin on his face. Elena didn't know whether to be afraid or not; Tommy never grinned like that unless something fantastic had happened. Elena raised an eyebrow at him, silently asking him what had happened.

"Don't worry, lass, I won't be trying anything on ye," her employer said. He nodded towards the front of the tavern. Elena looked and saw Captain Sparrow in the corner, his arms crossed as he stood leaning against the wall. He nodded to her, but moved no closer. Tommy leaned forward. "Alright, I'm going to give ye a bit of advice before ye leave, so that life on the Pearl won't be so bad," he whispered. "When ye address him, always put '_captain_' in front of it, unless asked otherwise; he gets angry if ye don't. Next, if he asks ye to stay in his cabin for a while, always try and keep an eye on him, he tends to keep his rum bottles closer to him than his sword. Third," Tommy hesitated. "Ye should know that he tends to go through girls like sailors go through drinks, so don't ye start falling for him. He may be charming, but he's not one to settle down, got it?" Elena nodded. "Good," he said. Tommy looked her up and down, giving her a gentle smile he reserved for those he thought deserved it. "I'm sorry to see such a good lass leave, but ye deserve better than this, Red. Good luck to ye. If ye ever need work again, come right back here, ye understand?"

Elena smiled at him before giving him a quick hug, catching him off guard. Tommy patted her on the back before releasing her. Both of them looked up to see Sally glaring at the two of them before stalking upstairs. Finally, Elena turned towards Jack and saw him frowning at her before he quickly hid it behind a smile. The pirate captain swaggered over to her and bowed, taking off his hat as he did so. As he rose, his eyes met hers, and she felt her heart stop. A second later, he winked at her and smiled.

"Shall we leave, milady?" he asked, smiling as he waved his hands dramatically towards the door. She nodded, and the two of them headed out of the tavern, though not before Elena looked back and saw Sally glaring down at her from the top of the stairs. Elena mentally shook her head and headed out the door, not looking back.

The two of them were soon headed down the docks toward the Black Pearl. When they reached the end of the gangplank, Elena stood and stared at the beauty of the tall ship. Every part of it was made of some sort of black wood, giving it an elegant, yet somewhat frightening, appearance. When she had been a young girl, Elena had heard terrible stories about it from her father, who had been to some of the settlements attacked by the Black Pearl all those years ago. He said that the towns had been leveled down to nothing, as though the pirates onboard had been looking for something in particular, only stopping the attack after they had found what they had been looking for. After Elena had experienced several nightmares about the Pearl, her father had taken to telling her all sorts of amazing tales about the famous pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow. It was only after she had come to Tortuga that Elena had learned that he was the captain of the dreaded Black Pearl. For some reason, now that she was actually going onboard the ship, she couldn't imagine why she had been having nightmares about it before.

A hand on her shoulder jolted her out of her thoughts. She turned around and saw Jack standing next to her, an eyebrow quirked in amusement. She smiled up at him in excitement, and Jack responded with a charming smile, offering his arm as well. She accepted, and he escorted her onboard. Once on deck, Jack let out an ear piercing whistle, immediately catching the crew's attention.

"Alright, you dogs," Jack yelled, causing Elena to wince. "Get everyone out here on deck; we've got a new crewmember!"

As everyone gathered on deck, they couldn't help noticing the red-haired young woman. Some crewmen smirked at her, giving her suggestive glances before a frown from Jack put them off. After everyone had been gathered, Jack jerked his head towards Elena.

"Mates, this is Elena, our new cook," Jack said, putting an arm around her shoulder. "Anyone that gives her trouble will be hanging from the hull of the ship before he can blink, savvy?" He gave the crew a pointed look. A chorus of "ayes" answered, and the crew scattered. Suddenly an elderly man approached the two, motioning for Jack to follow him, which he did. The distance didn't matter, though; Elena could still hear their conversation, considering that the two were only a few feet away.

"It's bad luck having one woman onboard, cap'n, much less two, " the elderly man stated.

Jack frowned. "Gibbs, we need the girl if we're going to be eating decent food for the next year or so," Jack said, glaring at the crewmember.

"I still think it's a bad idea, cap'n," the man called Gibbs said.

"Well, too bad, Gibbs, the woman stays." With those final words, the two parted, Gibbs for the crow's-nest and Jack reclaiming his spot by her side, his arms once again around her shoulders. Suddenly, Jack motioned to someone with his free hand, keeping his other one preoccupied with holding Elena's shoulders, unknowingly making her uncomfortable.

A dark-skinned woman came over, giving Elena a quick scan with her eyes.

"Aye, Cap'n, what do ye want?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Annamaria, this here is Elena Marks, our new cook and your new roommate," Jack said, waving his free hand at her. "Take her below and show her around, would ye? I've got work to do."

Annamaria nodded before beckoning to the red-head. Elena looked up questioningly at Jack; at his nod, she immediately followed the pirate woman down below, not realizing that Jack's eyes followed her until she vanished below.

After a quick tour of the ship, Elena couldn't help but frown. The galley had nothing that she could use to make an edible meal. The pots and pans were rusty, as were the cooking utensils. There were little or no herbs to cook with, and Elena felt that this job would be more difficult than she thought. Finally, she went upstairs to talk with the Captain. After she had reached the top deck, she saw him at the helm, overlooking the crew. She immediately walked up to him.

"Captain, may I have a word with you?" she asked.

Jack turned to her, a smile on his face. "Luv, I thought I told ye to call me Jack," he said, smiling. "Only the rest of the crew should call me Captain." He gave her a wink, which she ignored, or at least tried to.

"Jack, I need to talk to you about the cooking utensils," she said, crossing her arms.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "What about them?" he asked, cocking his head.

"You need new ones," she said bluntly. "They're all rusty and shouldn't even be in use. Do we have time to buy some more before we leave port?"

Jack considered the matter. "Aye, we've got some time before the rest of the supplies get here," he said, rubbing his chin in thought. "Ye can take Annamaria and get the stuff ye need, as long as the two of ye are back in three hours."

Elena smiled before biting her lip in unease. "I'll need some money before I can buy the things we need," she said, hoping that he would take the hint.

He frowned deeply before he nodded. "Right," he said, reaching towards his money-pouch. After counting out several coins, he frowned before adding a few more. "Here ye go, luv," he said, smiling at her. "Be sure to get some nice things, the crew has to eat well, ye know." Elena nodded before motioning for Annamaria to follow her.

"Ye must have some effect on the Cap'n, lass," Annamaria said, as they left the ship.

Elena looked at her. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"The Cap'n never gives out money so generously," the pirate woman said, smiling. "He must really like ye to give ye so much money at one time. He doesn't even pay his whores as much as he's given ye." Annamaria walked on, leaving behind a gaping Elena.

Elena stared at her before walking to town, wondering if Jack really had feelings for her, or if it was merely the ramblings of a female pirate. Either way, she was set on taking Tommy's advice, mainly the one on not falling for the pirate captain, seriously, and to try to keep herself well away from Jack Sparrow during her year on the Black Pearl.

* * *

AN: There's chapter two! And it will be a Jack/OC, since people like those better. Chapter three will be much later, since I have too much college homework to update quickly. Anyway, please review! Thanks! I love you all! 


	3. Life at Sea

Disclaimer: Still don't own the Pirate hunk from the movie, damn it. 

AN: This story takes place about a year or so after the movie, sorry about not mentioning that earlier. And no, Elena doesn't know how to fight or anything; she is a very properly raised merchant's daughter. Enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 3: Life at Sea**:

After shopping around for an hour, the two women managed to find a shop that sold cookery at decent prices. Elena picked out a bit of everything, and after she had handed over the money, the store helpers set out to deliver the utensils to the Pearl. Elena then dragged Annamaria to buy herbs, spices, and a few special foods for the galley.

Finally, after their three hour time-limit had passed, and the two of them had finished purchasing all of the goods Elena needed, they headed back towards the Black Pearl. Elena was still in a bit of a shock over what Annamaria had said earlier, about Jack being 'fond' of her, but she managed to push the thought aside. After all, hadn't Tommy said that Jack was fond of women and rum? That pretty much described most of the pirates, thieves, and other cutthroats of the sea. Jack Sparrow was a pirate, and Elena had no intention of letting herself fall for the scruffy-yet-handsome captain. She did admit that she felt a sort of attraction to him, but then Tommy had said that many women beforehand had done so as well. Elena, however, had been warned of such things, and had no intention of letting her emotions go any further.

Elena had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't realize that they had returned to the Pearl. Annamaria had to nudge her in the side before she snapped out of it. She then shook her head to clear it and walked up the gangplank and across the deck, heading for the galley. She then took an inventory, checking to see if everything had arrived from the store. As she was finishing up, a hand gripped her shoulder, causing her to let out a small yelp as she turned around. She managed to catch her breath when she saw that it was just the captain.

"Captain Sparrow, don't ever sneak up on me like that again!" she scolded, trying to calm down her heart, which was racing from either the scare or the captain's closeness; she couldn't tell.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Sorry about that, luv," he said, quickly scanning her up and down, checking to make sure that she was alright. "And do ye have a problem with calling me by my first name? I've told ye to call me Jack; only the crew calls me Captain." He gave her an extremely charming smile.

Elena suddenly felt uncomfortable, remembering Tommy's advice. "Technically, I am a member of the crew, so it would make sense for me to call you 'captain,'" she said, shifting on her feet and crossing her arms.

"That's true," Jack said, waving his hands around dramatically, like he had at the tavern. "But ye are a temporary member, and ye are also special, especially since ye can cook better than anyone I've ever met."

Elena blushed at the compliment. "Still, I'd prefer to call you by your title, Captain."

Jack rolled her eyes before smiling at her. "Well then, as yer captain, I order ye to call me Jack."

Elena gave a small giggle. "As you wish, Jack," she said, giving him a mock curtsey.

Jack laughed. "Thank ye," he said, smirking as he have her a mock bow in return to her curtsey. "Now, what are ye going to be cooking for us today?"

Elena smiled. "I haven't really decided yet," she said. "What would you like?"

The pirate captain smiled and leaned against the counter. "Well, what goes with rum? It's my favorite drink, ye understand."

Elena frowned in thought, resting her chin in her hand. "I think we've got some fresh fish," she said, tapping her chin with her finger. "Would a fish stew be alright?" Jack nodded. "Wonderful! Would you mind sending someone down to help me? Cooking for an entire crew is rather difficult."

"Aye," Jack said, smiling. "I'll send ye Annamaria, she rather likes ye."

Elena raised her eyebrow in skepticism. "How can you tell?"

"She hasn't killed ye yet, has she?" Jack asked. "Since ye both went into town together, and ye came back in once piece, she must like ye." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Not as much as I like ye, though." He turned and left the galley, leaving a speechless Elena staring after him.

That day was one of the most amusing days of Elena's life. She hadn't thought that cooking a stew in a pirate ship galley could be so much fun! Going against Elena's skepticism on Annamaria's fondness of her, the two of them had a wonderful time together. Elena listened as the pirate woman told of how Captain Sparrow had stolen her boat several years ago, and of the grand adventure that the crew had experienced to rescue a noblewoman and get the Black Pearl back from a band of undead pirates. Elena listened with fascination, though she somewhat doubted the whole tale. But then, she had heard of stranger things happening to other people, so Elena tried to keep an open mind. Either way, the two women had an amazing time, and it seemed like barely any time had passed between the time they started dinner and the time to serve it.

After the stew was ready, Elena rang a bell to signal the start of dinner. The crew stampeded downstairs and took their places at a long table. Elena was shocked to see Jack join them; she had thought to take a separate platter to his private cabin. Mentally shrugging, she took up the bowl she had already prepared for Jack and signaled for Annamaria to take the large pot of stew to the crew.

The entire crew cheered at the sight of the food before going quiet, inhaling the delicious smell of the stew. They patiently waited as Annamaria dished out steaming bowls of the stuff, watching large chunks of fish and vegetables falling into their bowls. After everyone was served, they all turned to look at Jack, waiting for him to take the first bite and to see his reaction (the reason for this was if the captain didn't like the food, the crew probably wouldn't like it either). They watched as Elena placed a steaming bowl in front of the captain. A moment later, Jack took a bit of fish and vegetables into his spoon and ate it, chewing slowly. After several agonizing moments (for the crew and Elena, who stood at Jack's elbow, watching his reaction), Jack swallowed and smiled.

"Lass, if all of yer food is this good, we'll have to chain ye to the galley!" he exclaimed, enthusiastically digging into the rest of his stew.

The rest of the crew cheered again before digging in. Elena sighed before turning to leave. She was stopped by a hand gripping her elbow. She turned to see Jack smiling up at her from his seat.

"Aren't ye joining us, luv?" he asked. "Ye wouldn't want to be missing out on such wonderful food, now, would ye?"

She smiled down at him. "I've got my own bowl in the galley, Captain, don't worry," she said, patting his hand before removing it and heading into the galley, not noticing Jack smiling after her before returning his attention to the stewpot to get another helping of the delicious concoction.

That night, after the crew was stuffed full of good, tasty food, Jack was surprised to see a number of volunteers wanting to wash the dishes and clean up the galley (what he didn't know was that many were hoping to get on good terms with the cook, thereby influencing the future menus of the Pearl). Jack chuckled as he let the volunteers argue over who was going to be helping the cook and who was going to be left scrubbing the floors of the eating room.

After everything had been cleaned and organized, and the crew was either going on night watch or gambling in their sleeping quarters, Elena went below deck with Annamaria to their shared sleeping quarters. Elena changed into some extra sleeping clothes from the stores below deck, and fell into a spare cot brought up from below. The redhead soon fell into a deep and peaceful slumber.

* * *

The next morning, the crew of the Black Pearl woke to the most wonderful smells coming from the galley. After they had all dressed, the crew raced down below to find piles of eggs, bacon, and pots of coffee laid out for them. They quickly dug in, and in less than half an hour all the plates were empty of their contents. Elena was then left with a pile of dirty dishes. Fortunately, Mr. Cotton, a mute man with a bird on his shoulder to speak for him, offered to help with the dishes, provided that he get a bit of extra food for him and his bird to nibble on (though it took Elena ten minutes to figure out just what in the world the bird and Mr. Cotton were asking for in return for their help).

As she was stacking dishes, Elena realized that Jack hadn't been down for breakfast. Shaking her head at the thought, Elena went back down to the galley and gathered some of the food she had left behind, in case a crewmember or two had missed breakfast. She warmed up the eggs, bacon, and coffee, placed it on a tray, and headed for Jack's cabin. Balancing the tray on one arm, Elena knocked on the door. At an incomprehensible answer, she opened the door to see a filthy cabin.

Bottles, both empty and full, littered the floor, and clothes and boots were everywhere. Cutlasses were hung on the walls, and knives and daggers, still in their hilts and on belts, were hanging on the edges of chairs. Elena sniffed the air experimentally and smelled rum and dust; the place seriously needed to be aired out and dusted. Hearing a groan coming from the bed, she realized why it smelled of rum; Jack had probably drunk himself into a rut last night and was now paying the price.

"Uh, Captain?" she timidly asked. She didn't want to get a knife in the gut because she had disturbed him. Jack opened a chocolate brown eye to meet her two dusty, light-brown ones. "Will you be wanting breakfast?" She held up the tray, displaying the steaming food.

Jack abruptly sat up, suddenly wide awake, though still smelling strongly of rum. "Aye, lass, that'd be wonderful!" he said, reaching for the tray. "I'm so hungry I could eat an island!" He smirked when Elena chuckled at him. "Ye have a really pretty laugh, darling," he commented. "Ye should do it more often." He smirked even wider as she blushed at him. "And ye look even prettier when ye blush; ye start to match that hair of yours." He munched on his bacon as Elena blushed even more and headed for the door.

"Uh, I'll come back for your platter when you're done, Captain, or, uh, Jack," she corrected herself after he raised an eyebrow at her. "Until later, then," she said, backing out the door before closing it after her.

Jack grinned widely as she left. That woman really was something. She didn't even call him by his first name, even after he'd ordered her to! She was too much like that stiff-necked girl, Elizabeth Swann. He'd have to work harder to break her of that habit, and he'd enjoy every minute of it, too! Still grinning, Jack returned to his breakfast.

Elena was still blushing half an hour later as she stacked and sorted the dried dishes. She'd never felt so uncomfortable in her life. Even though she was of a higher class in society, Elena had never been comfortable with males; she was more of a reader and a scholar. To counter her seclusion, her father had often taken her to balls, but she hadn't really danced with the young men there. She was always comfortable with the older men, primarily because they reminded her of her loving father and grandfather, but the younger, more handsome men always made her feel uncomfortable whenever they tried to dance or flirt with her. Elena was lucky that most of the men on the ship would leave her alone, her being the cook and all, but that Captain Jack Sparrow would be a problem for her. He was everything that embarrassed her; he was handsome, charming, and very flirty. Elena was sure that she'd have to practically lock herself up in the galley or in her shared room with Annamaria to keep herself from falling for the pirate captain.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't hear the mentioned captain come up behind her. Suddenly, a jeweled hand clamped down on her shoulder, causing her to give a small shriek.

"Really, lass, ye need to calm down," Jack said, smiling at her. "Yer too stiff."

Elena let out a huge breath. "Must you always scare me like that?" she asked indignantly. "You could make some noise when you walk!"

Jack simply smirked at her as he placed his tray of dirty dishes on the counter next to her. "And where would the fun in that be?" he asked, patting her hand before winking at her and heading upstairs, towards the deck and the helm.

Elena just shook her head before gathering the dirty dishes and heading towards the sink. He really was an annoying man, but he was a handsome one. Hopefully she'd make it through the next year without falling for him. It would be difficult, but she would do it. She had to; she didn't think she could stand having her heart broken by the charming pirate captain.

* * *

AN: Sorry about the slow wait with the updates and plot movement. I've barely got enough time to eat and sleep, much less write (stupid college homework)! Anyway, I hope that you've enjoyed the story so far. I'll try and update soon. Love to all my reviewers! 


	4. Plots at Sea

Disclaimer: Still don't own the Pirate hunk from the movie, damn it. 

AN: I'm really glad that people like the story! Thanks so much for your reviews; they really mean a lot to me. Thanks to you, I get my inspiration and will to write more! I love you all! Enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 4: Plots at Sea**:

Two weeks after she had been brought onboard the Pearl, Elena began running out of ways to avoid the attentions of Captain Jack Sparrow. Actually, she hadn't been able to avoid him at all; he was the captain, after all, and had access to the entire ship. However, he was kind enough never to enter the "women's" cabin, as it was now dubbed. In fact, all of the men stayed away from the room the two women shared (probably because Annamaria had threatened to make a eunuch out of anyone that dared to break in). Jack had even put a wooden bolt on the door to make sure that the two ladies weren't bothered at night, just so they could have some 'private time' to themselves.

However, despite the seclusion of her shared cabin, Elena found it nearly impossible to find ways to avoid him. The annoying captain was everywhere Elena was when she wasn't in the galley cooking a meal, and that was a great deal of time. After all, she didn't have to spend all of her time cooking, especially when she had an assistant in the form of Annamaria or Mr. Cotton (minus the bird because it always got feathers in the food). All in all, Elena didn't spend more than six or so hours of the day, total, in the galley.

In her free time, Elena was often in her shared cabin, in the store rooms below deck, or walking around the top deck, enjoying the sights and smells the sea had to offer. Then, no sooner had she been by herself for a few moments than Captain Sparrow would be next to her, pestering her. Elena would mostly roll her eyes in annoyance and avoid his vulgar questions and comments, but would turn and glare at him whenever he made a flirtatious complement on her looks and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her. At that point she would go to her cabin or the galley to be alone, for no one, not even the Captain, dared to pester the cook when she was in the galley. Yet the dashing captain sometimes stayed in her mind. His voice and smile made her feel all soft and strange inside, and it made her feel special.

As those feelings descended in her heart, Elena always crushed them, remembering Tommy's advice: Jack Sparrow goes through women like sailors go through drinks. No, Captain Jack Sparrow would not win her heart, and there was no way in the deepest realm of hell that she would grace his, or any man's, bed unless she was sure of his heart and future intentions. No, Elena Marks would never be made into a pirate's one night stand, not if she could help it!

* * *

Jack was practically tearing his hair out with frustration. The red-haired woman was driving him towards insanity! She positively refused to be around him, or to even flirt with him! She didn't even call him by his first name like he ordered her to! The blasted woman was going to drive him absolutely mad before the month was out!

Jack leaned back in his chair in his cabin, focusing his thoughts on the wall above his desk, gathering his scattered mind together. He needed to figure out a way to win the lass over. He didn't know why, but the way she refused to respond to his advances was irritating. It was probably because no woman had managed to put him off for long, even after they had learned about his reputation as a "ladies' man." They were usually much more responsive at the end of two weeks, and yet this one was avoiding him like a plague! He just couldn't figure out how this woman worked! Sighing, Jack buried his face in one hand.

Suddenly, an idea hit him and he sat straight up, a smile gracing his face. Annamaria was close to the gal, and if he could subtly get some information on the lovely red-haired Elena from her, he would be able to figure out how to win the lass over!

Still smiling, Jack stood and swayed over to his door and out of his cabin, searching for only other female crewmember on the Black Pearl.

"Jack, what part of 'no' do ye not understand?" Annamaria said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Jack had found the woman in the cabin she shared with non-present Elena, and had been trying for the past half hour to get the female pirate to talk about the lass. Annamaria, however, had no intention of giving up the information given to her by her close friend.

"Come on, Anna, I just want to know some things about the girl!" Jack said, putting on an innocent face. "Where's the harm in telling me about her?"

"If ye want to know about her, go and talk to her yerself!" Annamaria snapped, placing her hands on her hips while glaring at him.

"I've tried, but she just runs away from me," Jack said, annoyance creeping into his voice.

An eyebrow cocked on Annamaria's face. "Really, now?" she asked, a smile tugging on her lips. "That's the first time I've heard of a girl running away from the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, and not to him!" She chuckled.

"It's not funny, Anna!" Jack said, pacing around the cabin. "I can't figure out why she won't talk to me! I've tried everything, but she doesn't want anything to do with me!"

"That's because she isn't a whore, Jack," Annamaria said, rolling her eyes at him, as though it should have been obvious to him. "She's from a higher class, or haven't ye learned that from the way she talks? She's got more learning in one hand than the entire crew has put together! She's not used to all of the crude talking that ye usually do with the wenches in Tortuga. Ye have to speak to her like ye speak to a lady and not use a lot of dirty jokes and words when ye talk to her!"

Jack stopped pacing the cabin to look over at her. "Of course!" Jack exclaimed. "Annamaria, yer a genius!" He clapped the woman on the shoulder and left, leaving her staring at place he had once stood.

As he walked back to his cabin, Jack alternated between mentally congratulating and mentally slapping himself. He was proud that he had gotten something out of Annamaria, but was slapping himself for not treating Elena with the proper respect worthy of a lady. It should have been obvious that she wasn't of the same social class that he and the crew were from; it was all in the ways she spoke and acted, and it was all with a sense of class and an air of dignity.

As he went to his cabin, Jack quickly formed a plan on how to get the red- haired cook to talk to him, and maybe even to like him, if only a little bit. After all, a little thing could turn into something much bigger!

Still grinning, Jack shut the door to his cabin and began to carry out his ingenious plan.

* * *

Meanwhile, on another part of the ship, Elena was beginning to get worried. Captain Sparrow hadn't been around to bother her for several hours, and she had been on deck, alone, all that time. He would usually be there mere moments after she had made herself comfortable at the bow of the ship, but today he hadn't even shown up! Elena should have been relieved at the peace and quiet, but for some reason, she was on edge. Jack Sparrow was up to something, she was sure of it. She didn't know what, but it disturbed her greatly.

Shaking her head, Elena realized that she was being paranoid. After letting the wind blow her thoughts away, she headed below to make dinner for the crew.

As the crew inhaled their dinner, consisting of roasted herbed meat and potatoes, Elena was beginning to get worried, for Jack hadn't shown up for the evening meal, per usual. The pirate captain normally had breakfast in his room because of his drinking habits, but always ate lunch and dinner with the crew. Perhaps he was ill? Her heart tinged with worry at the thought as she began putting together a tray to deliver to the Captain.

"Ye shouldn't have to do that, lass," Mr. Gibbs said as he came into the galley, bearing his dirty, and very empty, plate. "The Captain can come down and eat for himself. Ye don't need to put together a special tray for him."

Elena smiled as she finished the tray. "Oh, it's no trouble. I've already eaten, and I know how he would enjoy a hot meal, especially after a long day of work."

Mr. Gibbs grinned at her. "Ye know, lass, I think that ye might be a good thing for the Captain," he said. "He's always missed meals in the past, but after ye came onboard, he hasn't missed any, what with ye delivering his breakfast and all."

"Why, Mr. Gibbs, I do believe that you like having me onboard! And I happen to be a woman, too!" Elena exclaimed, giving him a teasing smile.

Mr. Gibbs simply rolled his eyes and returned her teasing smile. "Don't let it go to yer head, lass," he said. "Ye just happen to be the best cook that's ever been on the Pearl, that's all." He smirked. "And ye might be one of the best things to happen to the Captain in a long time." He then turned and walked away, leaving a puzzled Elena behind him, still holding the dinner tray.

* * *

Jack was taken completely unawares when someone knocked on the door of his cabin. After a quick glance in the mirror and a look around his cabin, he approached the door and opened it, revealing the reason he had missed supper that evening. Then again, considering the sight, perhaps he hadn't.

There stood Elena, complete with a dinner tray and a glass of wine, all of it just for him. Well, he hoped that everything in front of him was just for him, at least in his mind; if anyone else wanted the lass, they'd have to go through Jack to get her.

Putting that thought aside, Jack realized now was the perfect time to put his plan into action! Out loud, he asked, "I suppose that dinner's for me, luv?"

Elena smiled. "Of course!" she exclaimed. She stepped into the cabin, and froze in shock. The entire room was spotless! Everything had been cleaned up and neatly put away; it had even been dusted! She turned around and saw that Jack was smiling at her.

"Are ye going to set that tray down so I can eat, or what?" he asked, motioning to the desk. She noticed a large piece of paper on top and nodded at it, silently indicating the paper standing in the way. Jack followed her gaze and raced over to it, snatching it away and hiding it within the confines of the desk. After it was put away, Elena set the tray on the desk, and Jack immediately sat down to eat, waving at a chair next to him, indicating that she should join him.

"Thank you," she said, "but I should go. I've got dishes that need to be washed."

"Come on, luv," Jack said. "I tend to get lonely without someone to talk to while I eat. Why do you think I like to eat with the crew so often?"

Elena sighed and took a seat. As Jack ate his meal, Elena surveyed the cabin. There were numerous books on the shelf, all of them very impressive; there was Shakespeare, Homer, Ovid, and all sorts of other great authors.

"Ye like the books that I've got?" Jack asked, finishing his meal. He waved towards the selves. "I've been collecting them for years."

She looked at him in shock. "Do you actually read them?" she blurted out before clamping her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me," she said, blushing at him while avoiding his eyes.

Jack simply smiled. "No hard feelings, luv," he said. "And I do read, how do ye think I pass the time on this ship when I'm not on deck?" He grinned at her. "Ye look pretty when ye blush, luv, do ye know that?" She blushed even more and Jack grinned even broader.

Elena quickly stood and took the now empty tray from him. "I need to get this back to the galley," she stuttered, still blushing. "I'll talk to you later, Jack." She then raced out the door, leaving a grinning Jack behind.

Jack watched the blushing woman go out the door, still grinning after her. She had actually called him by his first name! He was thrilled. Jack then stood up from the desk and headed over to the bookshelf. He picked out "Romeo and Juliet" and headed out of his cabin, towards the one the women shared. He then went straight into the cabin, knowing that Elena was in the galley and Annamaria was on duty at the helm. He then left the book on Elena's bed, knowing that it would be the only neatly made bed in the cabin. Afterwards, Jack headed back towards his cabin, impatiently waiting to see her reaction tomorrow morning when she brought him his breakfast.

Later that day, after all of the dishes had been washed and stacked, Elena entered her cabin and undressed. After she finished, she saw a book on her bed. Picking it up, she saw it was Shakespeare and realized that the book was from Jack's collection. Suddenly turning thoughtful, Elena began to think that perhaps Jack Sparrow wasn't so bad after all. The problem was that she didn't know if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.

* * *

AN: I know that this is a rather fast update, but I've just started organizing my schedule so that I can try and update faster and more often. Unfortunately, it's time for mid-terms, so I won't be able to update for a while. I'll do what I can, though! Anyway, please be kind and leave a review! Thanks! 


	5. Breakfast and Talks

Disclaimer: Still don't own the fabulous Captain Jack Sparrow, or the other characters.  
  
AN: College homework and mid-terms should all die. That's all I have to say about that. Oh, and I also think that Spring Break needs to be longer. Anyway, now that I'm done babbling: on with the chapter!  
  
Chapter 5: Breakfast and Talks:  
  
The day after Jack had left the book in her cabin, Elena woke up to a smiling face a few inches away from hers. She yelped and leaped backwards, colliding with the wall next to her bed. She grimaced as the back of her head knocked against the wall. As she closed her eyes and rubbed the sore spot now forming, she heard someone chuckling. Opening her eyes, she saw the Captain smiling down at her.  
  
"Morning, luv," he said, his smile turning into a large grin, flashing gold teeth.  
  
She stared up at him. "What are you doing here?" she blurted out, her eyes widening at his grin. Looking down, she saw that all she was wearing was her thin nightgown, and that the blanket had been pushed aside in her haste to get away from the intruder. She instantly grabbed the blanket and covered herself as Jack pouted.  
  
"Ye didn't need to cover up, luv, ye looked perfectly decent," he said, scanning her up and down. "Ye've already got lots of covering."  
  
"Only in your own twisted way would you think of a thin nightgown as 'lots of covering!' How did you get in here anyway?" Elena said, pulling the blanket further up. "What do you want? Aren't you supposed to be sleeping off your usual hangover?"  
  
"Actually, the door was open, considering Annamaria is up on deck. And I didn't drink much last night," Jack said, taking a seat in front of her, on the bed. He noticed that she moved back a bit as he did so. "I was reading a bit of "The Odyssey."" He leaned a bit closer, effectively trapping her against the wall without touching her.  
  
Elena stared at him in surprise. "You didn't drink rum because you were reading Homer?" she asked incredulously.  
  
Jack grinned. "Aye, lass, that's what I did," he said. He looked her up and down again, taking in her rumpled reddish-brown hair and light brown eyes. Even though she had only woken up a few moments ago, she really was a lovely young woman. "Now, would ye like to join me for breakfast, luv?" he asked, standing and offering her a hand.  
  
"Um, I think I should get dressed and fix it, first," she said, giving him a small smile. "Would you please leave, Captain?"  
  
"Luv, I told ye to call me Jack," he said as he waved a finger at her, as though he were talking to a naughty child.  
  
Elena sighed. "Well, Jack, would you please leave so that I can get dressed?"  
  
"Of course, milady," he said, bowing to her before he turned and left.  
  
After ten minutes, Elena came out, her hair neatly braided and wearing a faded red dress she had brought with her from Tortuga. Jack scanned her up and down, slowly, watching her blush as he did so. He then offered her his arm. She took it, and the two headed towards the galley. Once there, Jack sat and watched her as she cooked everything. He hadn't realized it before, but she was a very graceful girl; she seemed to dance around the galley, easily flowing from one place to another, never missing a step as she gathered everything together and seasoned it before tossing it into the pot or pan assigned to it. He was so wrapped up in watching her that he didn't hear Annamaria come in.  
  
"Captain!" the female pirate exclaimed in surprise. "What are ye doing down here? Shouldn't ye be sleeping off yer rum?"  
  
Jack had jumped in surprise, clutching his heart at the sound of Annamaria's voice. "Anna, do me a favor and never to that again!" Jack said, glaring at her.  
  
The dark-skinned female grinned at him before going over and helping Elena with breakfast. "So, Lena," she asked, using her new nickname for the redhead. "What do ye think of the Pearl after two weeks on it?" she asked as she turned over the sausages.  
  
Elena smiled at her as she whisked a dozen or so eggs in a bowl for scrambled eggs. "It's been very interesting," she replied, trying to ignore Jack's presence. "I never expected a pirate ship to be so beautiful. I thought it'd be dark, leaking, and dirty, but the Pearl isn't anything like that. I've grown rather fond of it, actually." She poured the eggs into a hot, oiled pan, stirring it around with a spatula as she added the seasoning.  
  
"Do ye think ye might stay on after the required year is up?" Annamaria asked her, placing the now cooked sausages on a plate. "I know I'd like ye to stay, and the crew's never been so happy. Good food makes a happy, obedient crew, ye know."  
  
Elena gave a small chuckle. "I doubt it, Anna," she said. "I've got an aunt I need to get back to, to show her that I'm doing alright."  
  
"Well, we could always drop ye off and let ye see her, if ye want," Annamaria said, helping to boil the coffee. "I'm sure the Captain wouldn't mind a small stop." Elena went quiet at the mention of visiting her aunt.  
  
Meanwhile, the said Captain was only five feet behind them, listening in on their conversation and thinking. He couldn't let the red-headed lass go and visit her aunt's, she might want to stay there and leave the Pearl. If he tried to take her away by force, there would certainly be some problems with the Royal Navy, considering that they always tended to rescue members of the British Empire, and Jack wasn't about to put his crew and ship in danger just because a member of his crew wanted to visit some family. He certainly did not want to encounter Commodore Norrington again, not if he could help it! A voice brought Jack out of his thoughts.  
  
"No, I don't think that's wise," Elena, was saying. "I don't want to put the crew in danger, especially when my aunt lives in waters patrolled by the British Navy. I don't want to break the deal I made with the Captain, either. I've made a promise to stay on this ship for a year, and I'll do it." She smiled. "Besides, I like cooking for everyone. I've never had so many compliments at one time before."  
  
Jack chuckled, causing the women to remember his presence. "I have to admit, lass, that ye are the best cook that's ever been aboard the Pearl," he said, smiling at Elena, who blushed at the compliment. "If ye did try and leave, I'd have to find ye, kidnap ye, and bring ye back from wherever ye were hiding!"  
  
The two pirates laughed as Elena blushed even redder. Fortunately, breakfast was done by that time, and the crew had gathered in the eating room, eagerly awaiting the arrival of food. Jack slipped out of the galley to join the crew, taking them completely by surprise. Elena could hear the crew's exclamations through the door, smiling at their surprised remarks on the Captain's presence. As Elena dished out the last of the eggs onto a plate and made ready to take it to the crew, Annamaria stopped her.  
  
"Ye should really be flattered, Lena," the dark-skinned woman remarked, looking the red-head in the eye. "The Captain doesn't make that sort of compliment or joking threat lightly, ye know."  
  
Elena looked at her in puzzlement. "What do you mean?" she asked nervously.  
  
"I mean that, if the Captain likes ye enough to joke about coming after ye if ye leave before the end of the deal, he'll bloody well do it," Annamaria said seriously. "He never jokes about that unless there's a bit of seriousness under it." She then took the plate of sausages and pot of coffee out to the crew, leaving a somewhat disturbed Elena standing in the galley.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Some time later, after Elena had walked through the door and served the eggs to the crew, she had raced towards the safety of the galley. She needed to think about Annamaria's words, and the galley was the only place she could do it. After she had eaten her breakfast, she had then turned to washing the crew's dirty dishes. During that whole time, her mind had dwelled on Jack's joke and Annamaria's words. Would Jack really come after her if she left before her time was up? She doubted it. If she could train a replacement, Jack probably wouldn't even know she was gone! Perhaps she should begin training Annamaria in the ways of the kitchen, and secretly get off at the nearest port?  
  
Before she could complete the idea, she felt a tap on the shoulder. Turning around, she saw Jack standing behind her, smiling. She gave him a small smile as she finished washing the last of the dishes. As she reached to put them in the rinse water, she was surprised to see Jack grab a drying towel and some of the already rinsed dishes, drying them swiftly. She stared for several moments before rinsing her dishes and joining Jack in drying the others. As they finished, Jack decided to break the silence.  
  
"Well, lass," he said, setting the towel aside. "Now that the dishes are done, what do ye say to joining me in my cabin?" He saw panic cross her face and smiled. "Don't worry, lass, I won't be taking advantage of ye," he said, offering his arm.  
  
Elena looked at his arm before glancing at his face. She saw that he was sincere, so she took the offered arm. The two walked down into his cabin, where Elena took another look around. She was still amazed at how clean it was compared to the previous times she had entered his cabin to deliver his breakfast. As she glanced around, Elena heard the door close. Turning around in panic, she saw Jack chuckling at her.  
  
"Don't worry, lass, I just don't want the crew to hear our conversation," he said, smiling at her. He motioned towards a set of chairs across each other, facing over a small table which held a basket of fruit. "Care to join me?"  
  
Elena nodded and smiled. "Thank you," she said, going towards a seat, pausing when Jack held it out for her. She nodded her thanks as took her seat and reached for an apple. "So, Jack, what did you want to speak to me about?"  
  
The captain smiled at her. "Well, lass," he said, taking a seat, picking up another apple before taking a bite. "I like to know about my crewmembers so we can get comfortable with each other's company." He noticed her blush and smiled. "What is it, lass?"  
  
"I am comfortable with you, Jack," she said, peeling the apple with a small knife she had spotted on the table.  
  
Jack grinned, showing his gold teeth. "Is that why yer blushing, lass?" he asked, taking another bite of apple. Chewing slowly, he watched as she finished peeling the apple, then sliced a small piece from it. He watched even closer when she put the piece of apple to her mouth and ate it, much as a lady would. "Where did ye learn such lovely table manners, luv?" he asked, wanting to know as much about her as he could.  
  
She smiled as she finished her bit of apple. "My father was a merchant in England," she said, eating another slice of apple. "My mother died when I was small, but my father felt that I should have training in etiquette, so I've had plenty of experience for my twenty-one years of age." She looked sad at the mention of her father.  
  
"So how did ye end up in Tortuga, luv?" he asked, finishing off his apple and throwing the core out the open balcony doors at the back of the cabin.  
  
Elena gave him a small, sad smile. "I was visiting my Aunt Melinda in Jamaica," she began, eating another piece of apple. "My father decided to come for me, since he was on a trading voyage from the Caribbean to England. We had departed from Jamaica when our small fleet was attacked by a band of pirates. They were kind enough to me, but they killed or made slaves out of the rest of the crew, plundered the fleet and sank what they couldn't carry. My father was among the dead. I was released into Tortuga with nothing but the clothes on my back, so I began work at the Ragged Dog, earning my room and board. After six months, you showed up to offer me a job, and here we are."  
  
"Do ye remember which ship attacked ye?" he asked, frowning as he leaned forward.  
  
She frowned. "The captain of our ship in the fleet said it was the Blue Star," she said.  
  
"I know that ship," Jack said, leaning back. "Captain Green is a hard, but fairly good man. He'd kill an army of men, but refuse to touch a woman in any harmful way. Too bad the man hates my guts." He saw her questioning glance. "I stole a bit of his treasure when I raided his ship, a few months back. He'd love to get me on the receiving end of a pistol." Jack then proceeded to look at her face. "What I don't understand, luv, is why ye don't hate pirates like nobles and pirate victims should."  
  
Elena nodded. "Well, I could spend the rest of my life hating pirates, but I know that not all of you are alike," she said, smiling at him. "I've met many pirates in Tortuga. Many are decent, and many are horrible. Tommy was a sailor, but he's very kind. And you are a very nice person as well, Jack."  
  
"Why, luv, I do believe that ye just gave me a compliment!" Jack said, grinning at her.  
  
She coughed in embarrassment. "Well, don't let it go to your head," she said, smiling at him. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Elena felt her heart flutter as Jack's dark-chocolate brown eyes met her light-brown ones. After a few seconds, Elena felt that she needed some air.  
  
"I need to, uh, check the food for lunch for the crew," she said, flushing slightly as she rose from her chair. "Thank you for the apple, Jack." She then raced out the door of the cabin, closing it securely behind her.  
  
Jack simply sat and stared after her, a smile on his face. She thought he was a nice person! He grinned broadly. He'd prove that he was indeed a nice man, and would do everything in his power to prove it. He'd win her over if it was the last thing he did! If there was one thing Captain Jack Sparrow liked, it was a challenge!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Another chapter done! The plot is slow going, but with mid-terms and homework, excitement is a bit out of reach for me. Maybe I should watch the movie again? Anyway, please leave a review to help inspire me! Thanks! 


	6. Times Passes and Things Happen

Disclaimer: Still don't own the fabulous Captain Jack Sparrow, or the other characters.  
  
AN: Once again, I think that all homework should be put in a big bonfire and sent straight back to hell. Anyway, here is yet another chapter of my work! Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 6: Time Passes and Things Happen:  
  
As the months passed, Elena felt she couldn't be happier, simply because life on the Pearl was very good to her. While she really didn't fully approve of the crew raiding ships and towns, she had to admit that it was fairly exciting, even though she didn't take part in any of it (Jack had always made sure to lock her down below so that she wouldn't get hurt in any way). However, despite the fact that she didn't participate in any of the raiding, Jack always made sure that she got a bit of something from the gathered goods, whether it was money, gemstones, or anything else of value that could be used to buy or trade for things in the nearest port. Elena always made sure to save up all of the things that she received from the raids, primarily so that she would have something to live off of later in life. While the crew spent their money and treasures on alcohol and women, Elena made sure to store hers in a secret, specially hidden locked box under her bed. She was very glad that Jack had given her the metal box after one of their raids, when she had run out of places to put her share of the booty. She had thought it very sweet of him to do that, considering other members of the crew had also wanted that lockable iron-clad box for themselves. Jack had claimed that Elena needed it more, to keep the crew away from her 'personal effects' (though he seemed to conveniently forget that Annamaria also possessed person items as well). The crew didn't mind; they all liked their red-haired cook a great deal, even though they never told her outright.  
  
However, one of the more interesting things that came about from the raids was the fact that Jack almost always stole books along with the gold, jewels, and treasures. This amazed Elena to no end, and it was due to their shared interest in books that, over the past few months, caused Jack and Elena to form an odd sort of bond. During their free time, the two would meet in Jack's cabin and talk about all sorts of things from the books they had read in their past. Elena hadn't thought of Jack as much of a scholar, but was amazed at how well-read he was. The two would talk for hours about books before duty called them to their separate parts of the ship. After that, Jack would sometimes loan her a book to read so that they would have something to talk about the next day. It was a wonderful relationship, yet Elena didn't realize that she was really falling for the dashing, and intelligent, pirate captain.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
One morning, three months after she'd been brought aboard, Elena felt a hand on her shoulder on her way to the galley to prepare breakfast. The red-head realized that it was Annamaria, and that something had to be wrong for the female pirate to be here at that moment.  
  
"Anna, what's wrong?" she asked, concern settling on her features.  
  
"Lena, you need to come to the crew's eating room, it's important," Annamaria said seriously, gesturing towards that part of the ship. The two women quickly headed down, and as Elena opened the door, she was greeted with a tremendous shock.  
  
"SURPRISE!" yelled the entire crew. "Happy birthday!"  
  
Elena tried to hold back tears. "My birthday?" she asked, amazed at the kindly gesture. "You remembered my birthday?"  
  
"Of course, luv," Jack said, smiling at her as he swayed to her side. "Why wouldn't we remember yer special day?"  
  
"I don't know what to say!" Elena exclaimed. She couldn't believe it. The table held a small crate filled with smaller boxes, most likely her birthday gifts, and there were large bottles of alcohol everywhere. Jack grabbed her arm and steered her towards the head of the table, a seat usually reserved for the Captain.  
  
"Here ye are, lass," he said, holding out the chair for her and pushing it in when she was seated. "Now, luv, what do ye want to do first: eat breakfast, or have some cake and open yer gifts?"  
  
Elena stared up at him. "You mean someone else cooked breakfast and made a cake?" she asked, worried that they might be poisoned from the crew's attempts at cooking.  
  
Jack chuckled. "Don't worry, lass, Annamaria knew what she was doing. She's been working with ye for the past few months, remember?" The rest of the crew laughed as Elena blushed.  
  
"Well, I think I'll open gifts first, and then everyone can eat and drink their rum," she said, smiling. "How does that sound?"  
  
The gift-giving proceeded from there. Most of the crew gave her small things like a few coins, a broach or cloak-pin, and a small kit from which to make beaded necklaces from. However, to Elena, the best gift so far was a large bolt of beautiful, velvety crème cloth from Annamaria.  
  
"I've had it forever and Lord knows that I'll never use it," the pirate woman said, grinning at Elena's expression. "Besides, it'd look better on ye then it would on me." Elena proceeded to stutter her thanks as Annamaria waved it aside. "If ye want to thank me, use it to make a dress and wear it sometime. That's how I'll know ye like it."  
  
Elena nodded and proceeded search for another gift, but finding there was none. "Well, I guess that's everything!" she said, looking around. "Thank you all for your gifts, it was so thoughtful of you!" She gave them a wide smile as she stood. "Now, why don't you all help yourselves to the alcohol and some breakfast while I put all of these lovely things away?" The crew cheered as they rushed the kitchen and the bottles. After Elena had finished stacking up the gift boxes, she headed for her shared room. She then proceeded to gather all of the valuable trinkets and lock them away in her metal box, leaving out the crème cloth, which she stored in a wardrobe that she shared with Annamaria. She had just finished closing the wardrobe when a knock sounded on the door. Opening it, Elena found a grinning Jack Sparrow looking back at her.  
  
She blinked at him. "Did you need something, Jack?" she asked politely. She really wanted to get to the galley and eat before the crew devoured all the food.  
  
"Aye, lass, there's something I need to do," he said, walking in.  
  
That's when she noticed Mr. Gibbs walking in behind Jack, holding a fairly large tray with two plates of food on top of it. After Mr. Gibbs had carefully set the tray and plates down on her bed, he winked at her and left, closing the door behind him. Elena suddenly felt the room get smaller as Jack proceeded to smile at her.  
  
"Alone at last, luv," he said, showing off his gold teeth. "Now, why don't ye help yerself to some food and then ye can open my gift to ye?"  
  
She nodded her head and the two of them polished off their food quickly. After the last bit of sausage and eggs had been consumed, Jack put the stacked plates on a nearby desk and turned towards her, pulling out a small, red box.  
  
"You've been with us for a while now, lass, and now I think that we need to mark ye as one of our crew, without letting others know that ye've traveled with pirates," he said, holding up the box as she nodded. He then handed the box to her. "Open it up, luv."  
  
She did, and gasped at the gift inside. It was a ring with a black pearl on it, surrounded by small white diamonds. The pearl wasn't very large, but it would still carry a fair price.  
  
"Jack, I can't accept this, it must cost a fortune!" she said, awed at such a pricy gift.  
  
"Don't worry about it, luv," he said, smiling at her as he put the ring on her right hand, noticing how perfectly it fit her slim finger. "I got it from a raid," he whispered to her, as though it were a secret.  
  
She chuckled as she nervously pulled her hand out of his grasp, looking at it in the light coming in through the porthole above her bed. "Still, I feel guilty knowing that it must cost so much," she said, turning to smile at him.  
  
"I told ye not to worry about that, luv," Jack chided her. "It's to mark ye as one of my crew, a member of the Black Pearl without branding ye with the 'P' we normally do. If anyone tries anything on ye, we'll hunt them down and tear them a new hole in their head." He took her hand in his. "Now yer one of us pirates, lass," he said, still holding her hand. Elena blushed as he held her hand for a long moment before standing up. "Now, I'm afraid I've got things to do on deck, so I'll leave ye to admire yer gifts. Oh, and I should tell ye that ye have the rest of the day off. Annamaria will take over for ye today." He smiled and bowed before leaving a dazed Elena behind, staring at him with a confused look on her face.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
After Jack had left, Elena stood in the middle of the cabin and stared at the ring he had given her. Did he really mean it when he said that she was a member of his crew? Would they really come to her aid when she needed it? She had only been onboard a few months, and now they wanted her as a crewmember? It was very touching, but she didn't even know if she would stay after her year was up. Then again, did she really want to go back to being on land after experiencing the freedom of the seas? Too many questions crowded her mind. Shaking her head, Elena decided to take a nap. After all, it was her day off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Later on in the day, Elena woke to the sound of someone else in the cabin with her. Opening her eyes, she saw Jack kneeling next to her pillow, grinning. She smiled at him before she realized what she was doing. Sitting up slowly, she rubbed her eyes, ridding them of sleep.  
  
"Afternoon, lass," Jack said, standing and offering her a hand up and out of bed. "Care to join me for lunch in my cabin?"  
  
She nodded as she accepted his hand, and the two of them headed towards his cabin, where a lovely lunch of fried fish and potatoes awaited them. The two of them then sat down and set into their food. After a quiet fifteen minutes of eating, they were both mostly done with their food, and Jack decided to break the silence.  
  
"Luv, what do ye say to us stopping off in Tortuga for a few days?" he asked as he sipped a glass of rum. Elena looked up at him in surprise.  
  
"Why do we need to go to Tortuga?" she asked. "There must be other pirate drinking holes to go to, why Tortuga of all places?"  
  
"Luv, ye got to understand that Tortuga is the best pirate hangout in the Caribbean," Jack said, leaning closer to her over the table, taking her right hand in his. He rubbed the pearl that decorated the ring on her finger. "I know that ye probably don't like the place much, but the crew needs a bit of rest and relaxation, and that's where they need to do it, savvy?" He looked into her light-brown eyes with his dark brown ones.  
  
Elena nodded. "You're right, Jack," she said, uncomfortable with the thought of returning to a place she didn't really like, but didn't really despise either. Jack didn't help matters by holding her hand. "The crew needs this, and I do need to restock the galley. Tortuga has the best selection of things. We can go."  
  
Jack smiled. "Glad we agree, luv," he said. "Now, did ye ever get around to reading 'Hamlet'? We haven't talked about that, yet."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Three days later, the Pearl pulled into Tortuga's harbors. Elena had never seen the crew look so excited. After they had docked and the crew flew down the gangplank into town, Elena went down below to her cabin to her metal box. As she took up the box and stashed the crème bolt of cloth Annamaria had given her in a sack to keep it clean, she heard a knock on the open door. She turned around and spotted Jack standing behind her.  
  
"What are ye still doing here, lass?" he asked, walking inside. "And what are ye doing with yer treasure box?" He frowned. "Ye aren't trying to sneak away, are ye?"  
  
Elena smiled. "No, I just decided that I might want to buy some things to help make a dress with the cloth Anna had given me," she said. "I didn't know how much such things would cost, so I decided to take it with me, just in case."  
  
"And the cloth?" asked Jack, looking at it.  
  
"Well I can't buy thread and ribbons for it if I have nothing to compare it with, now can I?" she said, still smiling at him. "You really should know these things, Jack."  
  
The pirate captain raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm a man of the sea, lass, I don't do dresses." He looked her up and down, grinning. "Just promise me one thing before ye go."  
  
Elena raised an eyebrow. "What is it?" she asked, suspicious of his grin.  
  
"When yer done with the dress, ye'll show it off for me before anyone else," he said, grinning even wider at her.  
  
Elena blushed. "Well, since you've been so kind to me, I suppose that's fair," she said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have things to do before we leave town." She rushed out the door, leaving a grinning Jack Sparrow standing behind her. She didn't notice that he now sported a dreamy sort of smile, one that held a great hope of seeing her looking like a goddess in her future new gown.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Yes, chapter six is done! I promise that a twist is coming up soon, so watch for it! And I'd like to thank everyone for sticking with me through this story and reviewing it. I love you all, you guys (or girls, actually) rock! And PotC won Best Picture at the People's Choice Awards! And Johnny Depp is up for an Oscar! Long live Captain Jack Sparrow! 


	7. Revenge Taken

Disclaimer: Still don't own the fabulous Captain Jack Sparrow, or the other characters.  
  
AN: Someone asked how old Elena is. She's twenty-two years old, after the party the crew threw. And I'm sorry about her being called "lass" too much. I don't know why, I just like it when Jack says "lass" in the movie, he's just so sexy! Anyway, enjoy the chapter!  
  
Chapter 7: Revenge Taken:  
  
As Elena walked through the streets of Tortuga, she saw many familiar faces. She had left this town over five months ago, and it seemed as though many of its patrons hadn't even left! Actually, it was likely that they hadn't. People tended to lose track of time while having fun in Tortuga.  
  
After twenty minutes of walking, Elena finally found what she had been looking for: a shop called The Golden Ribbon. She had always wanted to buy things to make her shabby tavern outfits more presentable, but had decided that it was more important to get out of the pirate city as soon as possible. Now, with her treasures from the Pearl, Elena could finally have a decent dress like she used to have before the pirate attack on her father's fleet! Growing more excited, Elena entered the shop and was awed by the selections; there were yards of ribbons, dozens of containers of colored beads, rolls of laces, and acres of threads in every color one could imagine! Before she could dive into the varieties of gown decorations, a serving woman approached her.  
  
"Can I help you, miss?" the meek little thing asked. She was smaller than Elena's five foot three inches, and had limp, lifeless, pale brown hair and pale blue eyes.  
  
"Yes," Elena said, pulling out the crème cloth that Annamaria had given her. "I need ribbons, lace, and a great deal of thread to help make a gown. Do you have any of the colors I'll need?"  
  
The serving woman nodded. "We just got a few rolls of gold ribbons and threads," she said, smiling. "We also have a new lace that has gold thread shot through it. It will be fairly expensive, though. We don't see it very often." The woman quoted the total price of what the whole thing would cost.  
  
Elena frowned at the price. She wanted the gold ribbons and threads, but would have to pass on the lace; it was more than she wanted to spend. But then, when would she be back here again, and with so much money to spend? It wasn't as though she would need another new gown soon (she did travel with pirates, after all), and there was no where else to wear such a lovely thing. Deciding to splurge a little, she nodded. The serving woman wrapped up all that she needed and Elena put the package in the same sack that carried the cloth. She then unlocked her treasure box and pulled out six rings with fair-sized jewels in them.  
  
"Is this enough?" Elena asked. "I'm afraid I have no coins, only what my captain gives me from the pirate raids."  
  
The serving woman looked at the rings for a moment before looking up at Elena. "Your captain?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You don't look like a pirate."  
  
"Actually, I'm the cook on the Black Pearl, not an actual crewmember," Elena said, smiling a little. Her smile vanished as the woman's face paled.  
  
"You sail with Captain Jack Sparrow?!" the woman exclaimed before looking around the shop as though the Pearl's captain and crew were hiding there, waiting to leap out and rob her at any moment.  
  
"Yes," Elena said, shifting uncomfortably. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"No!" the server said quickly. "No, everything's fine. These rings should cover it. Thank you for stopping by!" The woman snatched up two of the rings and put them in her pocket as Elena blinked in surprise.  
  
"Well, good-bye then," Elena said as she gathered up the four remaining rings, put them and the treasure box into her sack, and left the shop. She didn't know that what she had paid was a little less than half of what it should have cost her.  
  
After an hour of walking around town and looking into windows, Elena decided to head back towards the ship. As she turned around, her purchases still in her arms, something hard connected with the back of her head and all went black.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
As her eyes fluttered open, Elena realized that she was in a ship's cabin, but knew that she wasn't on the Pearl. She instantly looked up and around the bed she was in. No, definitely not the Pearl; the wood was normal colored, not black, and this wasn't her cabin or Jack's, though she was definitely in the Captain's cabin of whatever ship she was on. As she was glancing around, she saw a window and looked out: she could see the ocean and that the light was beginning to fade. Considering her situation, that couldn't be a good thing; this meant that she was probably a fair distance away from Tortuga and the Pearl. Her bag, which appeared to be still holding her cloth, purchases, and treasure box, sat on the bed right next to her. Before she could reach over and check their contents, the door flew open and revealed a sight that she'd hoped to never see again. The captain of the ship (and he was the captain, dressed as he was) had pure black hair and stony gray eyes. He was so tall that he had to stoop a little to get inside the cabin, and his appearance stopped Elena's heart in her chest.  
  
It was Captain Green, and his ship was the Blue Star, the one that had attacked her father's fleet and abandoned her in Tortuga.  
  
The tall captain smiled at her. "Good to see ye again, my dear," he said, bowing.  
  
Elena frowned. "What is it you want, Captain?" she asked, crossing her arms and frowning at him.  
  
"Ouch, lass, don't ye even want to say hello?" he asked, clutching his chest and grinning.  
  
"Not particularly," she said. "Now, what do you want?"  
  
"Straight to the point, aren't ye?" Captain Green asked, taking a seat in a nearby chair, across from where Elena sat on the bed. "Very well, then, here's the situation. I made a deal with someone, and yer a part of it. All I had to do was steal ye away from yer current employer and drop ye off at another port, and I got more than I could have hoped for as a reward." His grin broadened considerably, telling Elena that his reward was something that wouldn't be good for her.  
  
"Would you mind telling me the details, and what exactly your reward is?" Elena asked, fear gripping her heart.  
  
"Easily, lass," Captain Green replied. "I arrived in Tortuga a week ago and met a prostitute. She told me that she'd give me the best pleasure I'd ever have if I took her away from Tortuga and got rid of a girl she hated the next time I saw her near or around Tortuga with her pirate employers. When I heard her describe the girl she hated, I recognized and remembered who ye were and agreed to do that favor. I then got to spend three nights in paradise with that lovely wench. Later on, after I dropped the wench off at another port, she told me who ye sailed under, and that she'd heard when the ship would be in. Well, imagine how happy I was to learn that ye sailed with my arch-enemy, Captain Jack Sparrow. Not only did I get the best nights of my life from that wench, but now I get to see the famous Jack Sparrow suffer as the woman he loves disappears on him!"  
  
Elena stared at him, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Deciding to do neither one, she simply blinked at him before answering. "Captain Sparrow is not in love with me," she stated, looking at her captor.  
  
Captain Green raised a black eyebrow. "Don't be daft, girl," he said, waving his hand at her. "Of course he loves ye! I've heard how he treats ye, treatin' ye to quiet meals in his cabin, havin' long talks with ye, and giving ye a part of the plunder when ye don't even take part in the raids! That's absurd, ye know; everyone who doesn't take part in the raid doesn't get a share! Didn't ye know that?"  
  
Elena gaped at him. "He said that it was part of my wages!" she protested.  
  
The Captain burst out laughing. "Did ye think that ye'd get a part of the booty as a cook, and only a cook?" he asked, still laughing. "All a ship needs is a halfway decent cook who is also a crewmember. If Sparrow is giving ye part of the booty as yer wages, then he's either generous, stupid, or in love with ye! He never gives out money that easily!" He laughed even harder as he wiped tears of mirth from his eyes. After he'd calmed himself down, he looked over at her again. "No, lass, Captain Sparrow is head over heels in love with ye, and if ye didn't see it, ye have to be as daft as he is!" With those words, Captain Green stood up and headed for the door, turning around after he had opened it. "This'll be your cabin until we get to the next port, lass. I've got another elsewhere." He then closed the door behind him, locking it. Elena simply stared at the door before thinking over what had just been revealed to her by her captor.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Back on the Black Pearl, Jack was getting worried. Elena hadn't returned to the ship. She had gone out in the early afternoon and it was now nightfall. How long did it take to buy ribbons for a dress?! Something told Jack that it definitely did not take this long, especially when Elena wouldn't want to be caught out, alone, in Tortuga at night! During their private conversations, his bonny lass had told him that, at night, she had always stayed within the safety of the tavern she worked at and only went out during the day, when all of the drunks and men were asleep.  
  
Sighing, Jack called out for Annamaria. "Anna, have ye seen our Lena?" he asked.  
  
Annamaria's eyebrows rose. "Ye mean she's missing?" the female pirate asked, concern evident in her voice. "Is it safe for her to be out there alone and unarmed?"  
  
Jack frowned. "Yer right, Anna," he said, tucking his pistol into his belt, clipping his cutlass onto his hip, and setting his hat on his head. "I'm going out looking for her. Ye stay here and have the rest of the crew keep an eye out for her." He took off down the ramp, towards the noisy town, leaving a worried Annamaria to watch the ship and keep an eye out for Elena.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
After hours of looking, Jack was fuming. His lass (and she was his lass, because he'd never let another man touch her as long as he lived) was missing and no one had seen her! Actually, that wasn't true. A shopkeeper of The Golden Ribbon had told him that a girl of Elena's description had been in and purchased some ribbons, lace, and thread, but that had been well over six hours ago. Now the trail had gone cold, and Jack was getting angrier by the minute. Finally, Jack decided to take a break at the Ragged Dog, Elena's old workplace. After ordering a mug of rum, Jack took a place in a corner to listen to the locals chat. He was halfway through his rum when he heard something that made the liquid stick in his throat.  
  
"Did ye hear that Captain Green and his crew were here?" said a drunkard, talking to thin air as he consumed another mug of alcohol. "He was just here, picking up a wench before leaving, and then he comes back a week later without that blond wench that he took with him! Then, no sooner has he docked then he has the guts to ask about a red-haired wench that worked here and has been gone for months! The nerve of that dog!"  
  
Jack's eyes widened. Captain Green had his lass? It was very likely. Green hated his guts, and if he'd heard about Jack taking on Elena and possibly fancying her, that would explain the lass's disappearance; but who was the blond? Jack got up and moved over to the drunkard's table, right next to his. The drunk looked up, his eyes blurry.  
  
"What can ye tell me about the blond wench of Green's?" Jack asked, signaling to a serving lass to bring over a couple more drinks. As the drinks were placed in front of the drunk, he began to talk pretty quickly as he downed one mug and moved onto another.  
  
"That Green thinks that he's God's gift to women!" the drunk slurred, gripping his mug angrily. "He comes in here, and picks up that wench, what was her name? Shelly? Sheila?"  
  
"Sally?" Jack asked, his heart pounding in fear and anger.  
  
"Aye, that's it!" the drunk exclaimed. "He picks up that Sally with no problem, and me wanting her for weeks! Then, immediately after Green takes her to his ship, the Blue Star sails off, then comes back a week later without Sally. Green brings his stuffy self up here and asks about some red-head. He asked around and heard that she was arriving here on Sparrow's ship today, and then took himself off towards town. Green and his crew left this afternoon. He must have found who he wanted."  
  
Jack's blood had turned to ice after hearing that information. Green had taken Captain Jack Sparrow's bonny lass! This was not going to stand. As soon as Jack got his lass back, he was going to take that blond-haired wench, hang her off the railings, then chase down Captain Green and toss him off the crow's-nest of the Pearl! No one steals Captain Jack Sparrow's lass and gets away with it!  
  
First, however, he was going to have to search all of the surrounding islands and find Sally. If anyone knew where Green had taken Elena, she would. After that, the wench was going to spend a lot of time in the brig with the rats, at least until Jack found Elena. After that, maybe he'd let Annamaria and Elena deal with her in their own ways. After all, it was only fair, and angry women can get very creative when it comes to revenge.  
  
The thought of Annamaria and the Pearl brought Jack out of his thoughts. He immediately thanked the drunk and paid the serving wench to keep the man's cup full until he passed out. The girl nodded and Jack headed back towards his ship, his teeth grinding in anger. He was going to find his lass if it was the last thing he did!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Oh my gosh, I got over fifty reviews! Okay, the minute that I find out that I've got more than one hundred reviews is the minute that I write a Jack/Elena "loving" chapter, and the story gets an "R" rating! How about it? If you want to see some "Jack loving," you'd better review! Please?! 


	8. Another New Place

Disclaimer: Still don't own the fabulous Captain Jack Sparrow, or the other characters.  
  
AN: Sorry about making Jack so out of character by having him smiling and acting sappy. I happen to like sappy things, and I really like it when Jack smiles, so there! My story, my rules. Anyway, enough of my rambling: enjoy the chapter!  
  
Chapter 8: Another New Place:  
  
After several days at sea, Elena felt that she couldn't be more miserable. Although she was being treated quite decently by the crew of the Blue Star and dining with the Captain every night, she missed the Black Pearl. She missed Jack yelling at the crew, and Annamaria yelling at Jack in return. She also missed Mr. Cotton and his bird, Mr. Gibbs and his alcohol flask, and the crew pestering her to cook their favorite foods. All Captain Green and his crew had done was try and occasionally make polite and boring conversation when they had to; the rest of the time Elena was locked in her cabin. Of course, it wasn't as bad as the first time Elena had been onboard. The first time, she had been locked in a windowless cabin for about five boring days before being set free to scrounge for a living in Tortuga. Now she was able to at least keep herself busy by planning out her new gown. She had managed to convince Captain Green and his crew that the only things in her sack and treasure box were 'feminine items,' causing them to give her cabin and possessions a wide berth. Elena didn't care; she was far away from Jack and the Pearl, and on her way to someplace she didn't know or want to go.  
  


* * *

  
Meanwhile, on the Black Pearl, Jack sat in his cabin, frowning in thought as he twirled a dagger from finger to finger. Presently, he was thinking about different ways to torture a man before letting him die. Of course, letting the man die would be merciful, but merciful was the last thing Jack wanted to be after he caught up to Captain Green. Stabbing or hanging him would be an easy death compared to what Jack could think up. Frustrated, Jack stopped twirling his dagger and plunged the tip of it into his desk, spearing a random place in the map placed there. There were several islands that had small 'X's' on them, marking places where Jack had been in search of that twisted wench, Sally. She'd be a dead woman when Jack got a hold of her.  
  
"Cap'n!" called a voice on deck.  
  
"What?!" yelled Jack, snapping out of his thoughts and leaping from his chair.  
  
"We're coming up on Sundance Island!"  
  
Jack, grabbing his dagger and placing it in his belt, felt a savage grin settle on his face. This had to be the place Green had dropped Sally, and the woman would definitely be there; it was the only unmarked island left on the map, and there were few ships that docked at that pathetic strip called an island. Sally had to still be there, or the Pearl was in for another long search.  
  


* * *

  
The Black Pearl sailed into the small dock of Sundance Island just as the sun was setting. Jack stood at the helm, steering the ship in the fading light. As he watched the red and gold colored streamers dance across the sea and sky, Jack knew that there was only one place that a worthless wretch like Sally could find work here. After they docked, he was going to bring some of his strongest and most trusted crewmen there with him, simply because he couldn't trust himself with Sally's life at the moment. Gripping the wheel in anger at the thought of the blond whore, Jack steered the Pearl into a place in the harbor. After the ship had been securely tied to the dock and the gangplank had been lowered, Jack gathered the crew around him.  
  
"Alright, I need four of ye to come with me to find the wench that had Green kidnap our lovely cook," Jack said, looking around at his men (and single woman). He had told the crew early on what had happened to their crewmate and cook, and noticed that the crew had looked as angry as he was at that bit of information. Everyone liked Elena and considered her a part of the crew. Presently, many hands went up, since nearly all of the crew wanted to get revenge on the woman who had dared mess with a crewmember of the Black Pearl. Jack scanned the crowd and chose the four biggest and (for pirates) somewhat brightest crewmembers that he had: Jacob, Flint, Marcus, and Richard Black, all of whom happened to be brothers that looked nearly identical, since they all had brown hair and pale green eyes set in a square face. As soon as he had selected them, Jack and his four crewmen left the Pearl.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, the five of them entered the only low-life tavern in town, the White Sails Inn, since that would be the only place a low-life prostitute like Sally could get work. After they'd entered, Jack went up to the bar and began asking questions about new employees as the four crewmen stood and looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Sally. After two minutes, Jack let out a growl and stalked out the door, his four crewmembers behind him.  
  
"Cap'n, what's wrong?" Marcus asked as he hurried behind his captain.  
  
"That wench was here, but she left after only three days of being a serving girl," Jack said, snapping at the man unintentionally. "It appears that serving drinks isn't something she has a talent for, so she took her wages and went to get passage out of here. We're off to the docks! Hopefully someone will remember her leaving and where she was going!"  
  


* * *

  
After the five of them had spent nearly the entire day questioning every sailor and dockhand in the harbor, Jack finally found out that Sally had managed to book passage to the more civilized parts of the Caribbean. The ship she boarded was bound for Haiti and Cuba after stopping at the familiar town of Port Royal. That meant that there were only three places to search for Sally, and, if Jack was thinking right, the bloody wench would probably be in Port Royal, since it was the first stop. Jack knew that the woman couldn't possibly have enough money from her prostitution jobs in Tortuga and drink-serving on Sundance Island to get further than that, since passage around the Caribbean was expensive. Heading towards civilization meant that Sally would try and find a decent job, one that was better than prostitution or serving drinks, and there were few places in Port Royal that a former whore like her could do that.  
  
With those ideas set in mind, Jack gathered his four crewmen and headed for the Pearl. Twenty minutes later, the Pearl was bound for Port Royal. Perhaps Jack would be able to get some helpful information from his old friends, Will and Elizabeth Turner.  
  


* * *

  
Less than a day after the Pearl had left Sundance Island, it seemed Mother Nature was against Jack heading towards Port Royal, for a tremendous storm had blown out of the western part of the Caribbean, catching the distracted Captain Sparrow completely by surprise. Torrents of rain poured from the sky as lightning blazed overhead. After hours of sailing, it appeared to the crew that their incredibly focused and determined Captain was trying to find a place to shelter his ship. However, in reality, he was really trying to sail through the storm to get to Port Royal. Finally, after watching several men nearly get washed overboard by huge waves, Jack decided to seek shelter in a secluded cove at an uninhabited, unnamed island.  
  


* * *

  
After three days of waiting for the storm to clear up, the crew was beginning to get worried. While the ship itself was safe enough, the crew soon realized that no one on the Pearl would be safe, especially since the air was beginning to feel bit ominous. As the Pearl lay quietly in the cove, completely sheltered and protected from the storm, the crew of the Black Pearl grew more and more nervous about the temperament of their Captain. He constantly walked around the lower decks of the ship, twirling a knife between his hands and fingers while frowning and muttering things under his breath. What worried the crew even more was that, after one entire day of muttering in public, Jack decided to ponder and plot in the privacy of his cabin, never leaving for any reason. After that, the crew decided to follow the example of the two most superior crewmembers, Mr. Gibbs and Annamaria, and try to leave their Captain alone with his thoughts.  
  
Now, Mr. Gibbs and Annamaria knew Jack well enough to know that he was considering many revenge tactics, and that he shouldn't be bothered with trifle things, like eating and drinking, while he was doing so. Simply leaving a dish of fruit and bread on his desk early in the morning would suffice, and Jack had his own stash of rum to keep his thirst at bay, so there was little reason to be bothering the Captain. Also, if anyone wanted permission to do something, they usually asked Gibbs or Annamaria, primarily because they knew what Jack would want done. Thus, peace was kept onboard while the storm blew itself out.  
  
After the crew had spent several days watching the weather, playing cards, drinking themselves stupid, and wearily eyeing the door of the Captain's cabin, the one crewman saw the sky clear up and called to everyone's attention. The sky had cleared to a bright blue, the sun shining down on the slick black wood of the ship. They'd barely had time to enjoy the serene moment before the slamming of a door brought them out of it.  
  
"Alright, ye scurvy dogs, let's get moving!" came the Captain's booming voice from the open door of his cabin, as he stood there and yelled his orders. "We don't have all day ye know! Annamaria, set a course for the nearest island, we need to restock our food, water, and rum supplies! Gibbs, make a list of everything we need! The rest of ye, get the Pearl out of here!" He then turned around and headed back inside his cabin before shutting and locking the door. The rest of the crew simply stared at the closed door a moment before scampering around the deck, completing the Captain's orders. No one wanted to anger their Captain, especially not when he was already in a vengeful mood!  
  


* * *

  
Elena sat in her room, going over her dress designs for the thousandth time, when a knock sounded on her door. She quickly stashed the drawings in her treasure box and hid the box under her pillow before answering.  
  
"Come in," she called, smoothing out her dress as she stood up from her bed.  
  
Captain Green entered the room, smiling. "Well, lass, we've finally arrived at yer new home!" he said, sticking his hands into his belt. "I'm sure that ye'll like it here. There are all sorts of new people for ye to know, so I suggest that ye pack up and head out on deck." He then turned and headed out of the cabin, leaving her to her packing.  
  
Elena sighed as she quickly put all of her things in her sack. Considering that she didn't have any other clothes than the dress she had been kidnapped in, packing was relatively easy. After she had gathered up her things, she headed on deck, where she saw the gangplank being lowered and Captain Green standing by the railing, looking over a prosperous and bustling town.  
  
"Well, lass, here we are!" he said, grinning down at her. "I'm afraid we won't be staying very long, so I'll say good-bye right here."  
  
"And where exactly is 'here,' Captain Green?" Elena asked, clasping her hands together, nervously watching strangers walk by.  
  
"Port Royal, Miss Marks," Captain Green replied, still grinning at her. "I'm sure that ye'll be quite happy here."  
  


* * *

  
AN: I hope that people aren't mad for the shorter chapter, but my professors just gave out our take-home final exams. So, add on the homework we already have, and you have a very busy life going on! I promise to update as soon as I can, though. Please review! 


	9. Port Royal

Disclaimer: The fabulous Captain Jack Sparrow belongs to Disney.  
  
AN: Take-home final exams are evil. They take up too much fiction-writing time! Anyway, here is a new chapter for all of my wonderful readers! Oh, and thanks to everyone who have reviewed. Remember, 100 reviews equals a Jack/Elena "loving" chapter, so keep reviewing!  
  
Chapter 9: Port Royal:  
  
Elena sighed as she stood on the porch of a large, white-trimmed, blue cottage in Port Royal, watching the roses and lilac bushes bob in the warm breeze. It had been three weeks since she had been dropped off by Captain Green, and she was lucky enough to have been recently employed by a wealthy, young newly-wed couple.  
  
It hadn't been easy for her these past few weeks, since she had spent her time trying to find work. After having been forced to buy a new wardrobe of work clothes in order to fit into Port Royal life, and lodging at a local inn while she sought employment, her box of treasure savings had been greatly reduced in that time. She had searched all of the local shops for work, only to be turned away by already fully-staffed businesses. With no other choice, Elena had then begun asking around the upper-class homes, hoping for some temporary work to fill her draining savings box. Finally, after weeks of searching, Elena had been snatched up as a cook and housemaid for a lovely young couple, Will and Elizabeth Turner. They were desperate for a cook, and had employed Elena the moment she appeared at their door and described her skills. That had been three days ago.  
  
Elena smiled as she thought of her new employers. The tall, dark, and handsome Mr. Turner (or Will, as he liked to be called) was a very well- known, well respected blacksmith, and his fair-haired wife, Elizabeth, was lovely, both inside and out. Even better was that the Turners were very relaxed people, insisting that Elena call them by their first names in private. They even included room and board along with the usual pay, something that was rare for most employers. Elena was truly fortunate in this matter, but still longed for the day that she would be able to return to the Black Pearl, its crew, and its extremely dashing Captain.  
  
Smiling at the thought of the pirate captain, Elena returned to her task of sweeping the front porch, trying not to think about Jack's golden smile and chocolate-brown eyes.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Jack was angrily pacing around his cabin aboard his ship, practically tearing out his hair in frustration.  
  
The Pearl had stopped nearly three weeks ago for supplies at the nearest island-town, Port Philips, after that storm had put Jack behind in searching for his bonny lass. However, the morning they were about to leave to continue their search, Mr. Gibbs had discovered that there were much needed repairs that the Pearl couldn't wait for. After he had reported the matter, Jack had demanded to know what the Pearl could possibly need that was so important. He was silenced when told that there was a leak half-way up the side of the ship; if it wasn't seen to now, the crew would be dishing out water just to keep the ship afloat. Jack had nearly exploded when he was told how long it would take to fix the problem, and had let out numerous curses that had left the crew speechless. That had been over two weeks ago, and the ship was now fully repaired. Finally, after weeks of waiting and searching, the Pearl would get to Port Royal and find Sally so they could find out about where the Blue Star had taken Elena. However, there was one small problem.  
  
How the hell were they going to get to Port Royal without Commodore Norrington finding out?  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Elena stood in the pantry of the Turner home, examining what she had to work with. It was a sad thing that the pantry had been left in a sorry, empty state. For the past three days of employment, Elena had tried working with what was left in the pantry, but now, after three days of straining her creativity, she was out of both ideas and food. Apparently Will and Elizabeth hadn't gone shopping in a while, likely relying on bakeries and cook-shops for their meals. That meant that Elena would have to go out and do the shopping. Sighing, Elena exited the storage room and headed up three steps into the kitchen. She stopped in surprise at the sight of one of her new employers.  
  
"Mrs. Turner," Elena said, stooping into a curtsy. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"Elena, how many times must we ask you to call us 'Will' and 'Elizabeth'?" Elizabeth asked, smiling at their new cook. "We really aren't ones for formality."  
  
Elena blushed. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth," she said, giving a tentative smile. "I was raised to always show propriety to others, so it's a sort of habit."  
  
Elizabeth chuckled. "Don't worry. I was raised the same way, but that didn't stop me from trying to get Will to call me by my first name," she said, grinning.  
  
"What are you saying about me?" asked a male voice from the next room. "I know I heard my name mentioned!"  
  
"Don't worry, love, we're just discussing propriety," Elizabeth called out to her husband. "It's not as though I was revealing your deepest secrets to out new cook!"  
  
"What?!" cried Will. He rushed into the room, skidding to a halt in front of the two women, looking at them in panic before realizing his wife was joking. The two women burst into a fit of giggles at the sight of his alarmed expression.  
  
"Oh, Will," Elizabeth said, still giggling. "You are so funny when you're panicked!" She kissed him on the cheek, obviously trying to heal his wounded pride.  
  
"Thank you, my dear; that does wonders for my bruised ego," Will said, pouting. Elizabeth gave a small chuckle as she kissed him again.  
  
Elena cleared her throat, attracting the Turner's attention. "I hate to break up such a tender moment," she said, smirking at their blushing faces. "But we are sorely in need of food at the present time. The pantry is empty." She saw a look of alarm settle on her employers' faces.  
  
"There's no food?" Elizabeth said, shocked. "How could that have happened? We've been eating well enough the past few days."  
  
Will frowned, rubbing his chin in thought. "Well, we haven't shopped for groceries for a while, and we had been eating from bakeries ever since we dismissed our last cook two weeks ago," he said. "She was a very bad cook; didn't know a thing about the kitchen and we had to fire her after only two days of work."  
  
Elizabeth shuddered. "Yes, she was terrible," she said, still cringing. "I swear that she couldn't boil tea without burning it! She was a pretty young thing, but didn't look like she knew anything about cooking. What was her name again?"  
  
Will shrugged. "I forget," he said, smiling a little. "Besides, it's not like we'll be inviting her back. She couldn't even clean the house correctly." He turned back to Elena. "Anyway, we're off topic. We need food." He reached into his belt pouch before changing his mind and handing her the entire pouch. He put up his hand to stop any protests Elena might make. "No, don't argue. Take the whole thing and buy whatever is needed make another one of your fine meals."  
  
Elizabeth smiled. "I don't suppose you know how to bake?" she asked eagerly. "I'd love some fresh cakes or muffins for tea."  
  
Elena chuckled. "I know how to bake nearly every sweet thing under the Caribbean sun, Elizabeth, don't worry," she said. She turned towards Will. "And don't you worry, either; I'll be sure to bargain the merchants into the dust and try to save as much money as I can."  
  
Elena gave a small curtsy of respect to the Turners before going out the back door, heading towards the bustling marketplace of Port Royal.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Elena spent a good portion of the day running around the marketplace, often using some bargaining techniques that she had learned from Annamaria and Jack when they had to restock the Pearl. Most of the time, Elena argued with the merchants until both parties were threatening that the other was robbing them of their money or goods, but it was mostly for fun and done in good humor. Finally, after the arguments were done and tempers had cooled, Elena was able to buy the goods at a slightly higher price than she wanted, yet pay less than what the merchants wanted her to pay. She was thoroughly pleased with the outcome because she had saved the Turners a great deal of money, and had managed to completely restock their pantry in the process.  
  
After she had made sure that all of the goods were going to be delivered to the Turner home with little or no trouble, Elena decided to take a small walk around the docks and admire the incoming and outgoing ships. As she walked along the harbor, thinking about her pirate friends, Elena realized that she ended up near the somewhat seedier part or Port Royal. Although she was not likely to stand out in her plain maidservant outfit, she knew she didn't exactly fit in, either, and decided to leave before any trouble started. After all, there was no Jack Sparrow here to protect her, and she didn't know how to defend herself from any attackers. Taking an abrupt about-face to head back to the better part of town, she ran into a shabbily dressed woman with a familiar sneer on her face.  
  
"Sally?" Elena gasped in surprise. It couldn't be! Out of all the islands in the Caribbean, the woman who hated her most had to be on this one!  
  
"Well, if it isn't everyone's favorite red-headed cook," Sally said, her sneer still on her face as she crossed her arms. "What are ye doing here in my town?"  
  
Elena blinked before narrowing her eyes slightly. "Your town?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow in disbelief. "I believe that this town is freely open to everyone."  
  
Sally's eyes narrowed in reply. "Don't get smart with me," she growled threateningly. "I booked passage here before ye came. Besides, wasn't Captain Green supposed to take ye somewhere else to scrape out another living?"  
  
Elena was shocked, but kept her face blank. So it had been Sally who'd had Green kidnap her! It should have been obvious, considering how the woman hated her. Now Elena simply smiled mockingly at the blond former prostitute. "Oh, he did," she said, mock-sweetly. "He left me in this wonderful town without a penny to my name, or so he thought. I was quite fortunate to be kidnapped along with the wages Captain Sparrow gave me for my work, so I was able to survive until I found employment as a cook to a wealthy newlywed couple."  
  
Sally stared at her in disbelief. "Employed by a wealthy newlywed couple?" she repeated. "There's only one newlywed couple who needs a cook. Wait, no, ye couldn't have been employed by the Turners!"  
  
"That would be correct," Elena said, smoothing out her dress and apron, trying not to smirk in satisfaction. "They really are wonderful people. I can't believe that they include room and board along with my normal wages! They really are generous people, aren't they?"  
  
Sally, meanwhile, had been turning red with anger. "I worked for them for two days before they kicked me out of their house," she fumed at the red- haired girl in front of her. "What is it about ye that makes people want to hire ye?"  
  
Elena shrugged. "Perhaps it's because, unlike you, I have a talent for cooking and cleaning things correctly?" she said, smirking a bit.  
  
Sally's eyes narrowed before reaching out for Elena's arm, stopping as a troop of red-coats came down the harbor. One of them looked over at them suspiciously, causing both women to give him forced smiles of assurance. However, he didn't seem to buy it, so Sally stepped back from Elena.  
  
"I'll be seeing you later, Red," Sally said to her, hate lying beneath her tone.  
  
"Of course, Sally," Elena said, smiling mockingly at her. "I'm sure you remember where the Turner home is. Do come and visit." She then turned and walked away, fully satisfied with her reply. She knew that Sally wouldn't dare enter the wealthier districts of Port Royal, especially not after being dismissed by the Turners after only two days of work! Besides, if someone as shabbily dressed as Sally were to enter that part of town, the red-coats would promptly remove them, thinking the worst about them. Elena was safe enough in that part of town, and as long as she stayed away from the seedier districts, she would be safe from Sally and anything she might plan.  
  
Shaking her head, she walked up to the Turner home and opened the door, finding a smiling Elizabeth seated on a couch in the parlor. The fair- haired woman smiled and held up several drawings as Elena closed the front door and walked closer to the couch.  
  
"I found these on your bedspread when I went to see if you'd returned early," Elizabeth said. "They are a lovely design. What do you say we bring them to life?" She patted the empty space beside her.  
  
Elena smiled as she took the offered seat. "I'd like that very much," she replied. "I received some lovely cloth from a friend and bought everything I need for it. I just need the time to do it, and an occasion to wear it to."  
  
Elizabeth chuckled. "With my help, you'll have all of the time you need to make it. And a woman should always have an elegant gown to wear, Elena," she chided her friend. "You don't really need one special reason to make and wear one."  
  
'No,' Elena thought, privately. 'I only need one special person.' And secretly, in her heart of hearts, that person was Captain Jack Sparrow.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Another chapter done! Everyone celebrate! Oh, and finals are coming up, so I'll be really busy with those (damn it), so that means another long wait for another chapter. I promise to update a lot afterwards, though. Promise! Anyway, please review! Thanks! 


	10. Unexpected Findings

Disclaimer: See previous chapters and stories.  
  
AN: Over100 reviews! Now the question is: do people want some Jack/Elena action or not? Someone said that it would ruin the story, but I promise nothing too graphic, and it will take place at an appropriate time. Anyway, I need to know if people will read this if there's some Jack/Elena action in it, so please review your opinion!  
  
Chapter 10: Unexpected Findings:  
  
Jack stood at the helm of the Black Pearl, muttering angry curses to himself. Finally, after fighting Mother Nature, ship leaks, and other unpleasant things, they had at long last arrived within sight of Port Royal. However, Jack was still upset that it had taken him over a month to do so, especially when it should have taken him less than a few days! Jack should have been happy at the sight of Port Royal on the horizon, but he wasn't. Commodore Norrington still had a price hanging over his head, and he definitely did not want to end up hanging from a noose anytime soon. Now they had to wait until dusk to drop anchor near Port Royal and take a rowboat to shore to get information on Sally, and then get her to talk about where Captain Green and his crew had taken Elena. Either way, Jack was in for a bit of legwork.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
After the sun had set and the moon had come out, Jack once again took the four Black brothers and rowed to shore. He had hidden the Pearl offshore, out of sight of Port Royal, and had ordered the crew to pick up and leave if the Royal Navy should somehow find them out. Jack was happy that it was night and that no one could see him and his crewmates clearly as they walked around town. Even if they were spotted in the part of town they were heading for, they would simply be mistaken as dockworkers and ignored.  
  
After they landing the boat, Jack and his four crewmen headed towards the seedier parts of Port Royal. Jack was somewhat surprised to find out that a respectable town like this had a bad side, but it couldn't be helped; every town had lowlifes and there was no way to be rid of them. As they walked around the rundown taverns and bars, the five pirates began asking about new barmaids. Jack finally found his quarry at the most rundown bar on the street. She was serving drinks, and looked worse than she had in Tortuga! Jack couldn't help but grin as he signaled for his men to take action as he turned and headed back towards the rowboat.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Sally had just set down her empty pitcher when she felt an arm wrap around her waist and hoist her up over a shoulder. From her place over the shoulder, Sally looked up and saw that there were four pirates, including the one she was draped over, and they were the best-looking pirates that she'd ever seen! And best of all, they were carrying her out of the tavern! Sally didn't know whether to cheer at her good luck, or cry for help (that is, until the look on the innkeeper's face told her that what awaited her outside the tavern wouldn't be good). Something hard connected with her head and she blacked out. When she came to, Sally found herself alone on the floor of a small, windowless cabin onboard a ship, the door closed and probably locked. Sally then scanned the room, discovering that the ship that made completely of black wood.  
  
Suddenly, the door flew open, revealing three very angry pirates. One was a dark-skinned woman with black hair and wearing a very sharp cutlass. Another was an elderly man who not only wore a cutlass, but also a pistol. The third was definitely the captain, considering that he wore the captain's hat and had all sorts of rings on his fingers. He also had beads and bones woven into his dreadlocks. This was someone Sally would definitely want to get to know: Captain Jack Sparrow! That meant that she was on the Black Pearl! Sally couldn't believe her luck. Maybe she could get something out of Sparrow if she bedded with him; after all, he was known for his love of loose women. She immediately put on a sultry smile, trying to appeal to the man in charge.  
  
"What can I do for ye, Captain?" she purred in her most seductive voice. Unfortunately, he did not seem effected by her appeal.  
  
"Where did Green take Elena?" he asked, bluntly. "Where is she?"  
  
"I don't know what ye mean," she said, trying to look puzzled while trying to cover up her panic. He couldn't know about her bargain with Captain Green, it wasn't possible!  
  
"Don't play dumb," snapped the woman. "We know ye went aboard the Blue Star and six days after he left Tortuga, he came back without ye and kidnapped Elena." The woman drew out her cutlass.  
  
"Annamaria, that isn't the way to get the girl to talk," the Captain said, holding her back. Annamaria began to protest. "No buts, Anna," Jack said, glancing down at Sally, who was still seated on the floor. "She'll tell us what we need to know."  
  
Sally gave him another seductive smile. "And what if I don't?" she asked, batting her eyelashes at him. She gulped when the Captain suddenly pressed his own sword against her neck.  
  
"Trust me, lass," he whispered, glaring at her with hate and anger. "You'll tell me because I'm Captain Jack Sparrow and I want to know, savvy?"  
  
Sally nodded, suddenly frightened and angry. "Why would ye want to know about that red-headed wench, anyway?" she asked, looking up at him. "I'm much more entertaining than she is! Why don't you pick a real girl like me instead of her?"  
  
"Because she's worth more than a hundred of ye, that's why," the elderly man said, glaring at her. The three pirates looked fiercely down at her. "Now where is she?"  
  
Sally shook her head, pretending not to know. "I don't know," she lied. "I simply told Green to take her someplace away from Tortuga, away from you. That's all I know!"  
  
Jack frowned. "If yer not telling the truth, Sally, I'll have yer head decorating the bow of the Pearl," he threatened. "Annamaria, Gibbs, take her down to the brig and don't forget to feed her." He then turned and left the cabin.  
  
The woman's eyes widened. "The brig?!" she cried. "You can't send me down there! You have no right to keep me here!" She definitely didn't want to be onboard when, or if, Jack and his crew found out that Elena was here in Port Royal.  
  
"We're pirates, lass, we can do whatever we want," Annamaria said, grabbing Sally by the hair and dragging her up. "It's time to visit your new home." Annamaria and Gibbs grabbed her arms and led her out the door.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Later that night, Jack angrily walked down the darks streets of Port Royal, headed towards the more respectable parts of town. He was mad as hell that he was unable to get any information from Sally, but couldn't do anything about it. In order to calm himself down, he decided he might as well go and visit Will and Elizabeth. Jack really hoped that they still thought of him as a friend and would put him up for the night. Carefully, Jack dodged three approaching red-coats and made his way up to the white-trimmed, blue cottage that had been described to him by several sailors at the docks. He walked up and knocked on the door, smoothing out his clothes, mustache, beard, and hair, hoping to make a good impression. As he looked over his shoulder, checking for more soldiers, the door opened.  
  
"Jack!" gasped a familiar female voice. "Will, Jack's here!"  
  
Jack turned around. "Elizabeth!" He walked right through the door and kissed her on the cheek. "How are ye and the whelp doing? Had any little ones yet?"  
  
"Jack, it's good to see you again," Will said, coming down from upstairs to shake Jack's hand. "Come in and take a seat. I'm afraid out new cook is out buying groceries for tonight, but I'm sure that she can stretch it out for one more person!"  
  
Minutes later, Jack was on the Turners' couch. As he sat there listening to Will and Elizabeth chatter on about their wedding and lives since their adventure together, he couldn't help but glance around their spacious home and admire all of the expensive furniture and knick-knacks decorating the room.  
  
'Elizabeth sure has good taste,' he thought as Elizabeth was serving tea, tiny cakes, and sandwiches, along with some rum for Jack. As he took a swig from his glass, his back facing the entryway, Jack heard the door open and shut, and footsteps enter the hallway.  
  
"I'm dreadfully sorry about my lateness, Mrs. Turner," said a familiar voice from the hallway. "The market was absolutely chaotic today."  
  
'I know that voice,' Jack thought as Elizabeth rose and went into the hallway.  
  
"Ah, Elena, you're here!" Elizabeth said from the hall. "Would you be a dear and add another plate to dinner, we have company." Jack simply stared at the doorway. A moment passed before he heard footsteps headed into the kitchen.  
  
Elizabeth returned a moment later. "Sorry about that, Jack, I had to have our new maid set a place for you tonight at dinner."  
  
Jack jerked out of his daze. "Oh, no problem, Lizzie," he said, taking a big swig of rum to calm his nerves. "What's the lass's name, by the way?"  
  
"Her name is Elena, and she's the best cook that we've ever had," Will replied, helping himself to some more tea and sandwiches. "Only a week of working for us and we love her already!" Jack didn't reply. "Jack, are you listening to me?" Will asked.  
  
Jack snapped back to attention. "Sorry, Will, what were you saying?"  
  
Elizabeth chuckled. "I think Jack's interested in our new maid and cook."  
  
Will also laughed. "Well, Jack, if you want a woman, you'll have to look elsewhere," he said. "Elena is a good girl, and not for your use as a bedwarmer."  
  
Jack shook his head. "I wouldn't dream of taking advantage of so lovely a lass, whelp, don't worry." He could see the surprise on their faces; he usually wasn't this courteous about women.  
  
"Well, why don't you go and talk with her then?" Will said, waving towards the kitchen.  
  
Jack immediately stood up and made towards the kitchen. After he had stepped through the doorway, he stopped and stared. He couldn't believe who he saw in front of him. It was Elena! His bonny lass was here, right in front of him and he couldn't help but stare at her as she put her cooking talents to good use. He closed the door behind him, giving himself some privacy as he watched her.  
  
She was as graceful on land as she was at sea, in the Pearl's galley. Her steps were soft as she padded around while cutting, stirring, seasoning, and tasting her creations. Jack loved everything about this woman: she was beautiful, graceful, talented in the kitchen, and had a love of books to match his own! He also couldn't help but notice that she seemed sort of content to be here, on land in the Turners' home. Looking around the kitchen, Jack started taking in the comforts that it had to offer.  
  
'I think that she actually belongs here, where it's safe,' Jack thought sorrowfully. 'She shouldn't constantly be in danger while working on a pirate's ship. Working for Will and Elizabeth means getting a decent wage, a good place to live, good food, and becoming a part of society. She might even marry into a higher place in the social ladder.' Jack inwardly winced at the idea of her marrying someone other than him. 'She should stay here.' Feeling his heart drop to his stomach, Jack turned and walked out of the kitchen and into the parlor, shutting the door behind him.  
  
"Well, whelp, I'm off to explore what the taverns of Port Royal have to offer," Jack said, suddenly feeling the need to get drunk. "Don't wait up for me, savvy?" Without waiting for another answer, he sped out the door, heading for the town's lowliest taverns and bars.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
That night, Elena was worried. The Turners' guest hadn't been at dinner, and Elizabeth had said that he had gone down to the seediest parts of town to go drinking. She couldn't imagine why he would spend his time drinking instead of talking to the Turners.  
  
"Elizabeth, who was your guest, and why would he be drinking at this time of night?" Elena asked her employer and friend as she and Elizabeth put the dried dishes away.  
  
Elizabeth hesitated before replying. "Elena, do you promise not to tell anyone who he is and that he's here in Port Royal?" Elizabeth asked her new friend. Elena nodded. "His name is Jack Sparrow, and he's a pirate captain," she said. "He is a good friend of ours, he's saved both of our lives, and we don't want to get him into trouble with the Commodore."  
  
Elena felt her insides jolt in surprise. Jack was here, and he was friends with the Turners! Fate certainly had a twisted sense of humor. Elena suddenly felt the need to talk to Jack, to explain what had happened in Tortuga and tell him how much she cared about him.  
  
"Um, I just realized that I need to run an errand in town, Elizabeth," Elena said, thinking quickly. "I promise to be back soon." Elizabeth looked at her in suspicion. "I promise that I'm not going to tell anyone about Jack! I just need some things for the kitchen!" Elizabeth nodded her consent. Elena then quickly darted out the door, headed for town.  
  
As she walked along the harbor, searching the few seedy taverns in Port Royal, Elena heard women laughing through the doorway of one, and peaked inside. What she saw stopped her heart.  
  
It was Jack, and he was sitting on a bench, surrounded by giggling women. He quickly gave one woman an affectionate kiss before turning his attention to another.  
  
Elena had seen enough. She turned and headed home, knowing that Jack Sparrow would never care for her the same way that she cared for him. She then headed back to the Turner home, her heart utterly crushed.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* AN: Okay, I know the review system is screwed up, but it supposedly works now, so please tell me whether you want a 'loving' chapter or not! Please?! 


	11. Proof of Love

Disclaimer: See previous chapters and stories.  
  
AN: So many mixed reviews on this story! Okay, I've decided to do a "loving" chapter. Wait, don't leave yet! I'll write the chapter, but I'll also write a chapter after it so you won't have to read it if you don't want to, savvy? I'll post a warning on the "loving" chapter so those who want to skip it can do so without worry. Anyway, enjoy the new chapter!  
  
Chapter 11: Proof of Love:  
  
The next day, after getting thoroughly drunk at the tavern, Jack headed back to the Turners' house, his head feeling like it was getting ready to explode. Although he was a constant drinker, Jack had consumed more rum in that one night than he normally drank in a week. This morning he had woken up with the worst hangover he had ever experienced in his life, but was thankful for two things: one, he had woken up in a room all alone, with no female company, and two, the tavern owner had kindly given him a hangover remedy. However, as Jack staggered through the back streets of Port Royal, clutching his head in pain, that remedy had yet to fully kick in. So, still feeling a bit off, Jack decided to head back to the Turners' home and sleep off his hangover.  
  
Unfortunately, since he was still suffering from his hangover, Jack hadn't yet noticed the red-coats heading towards him from the opposite end of the street. As he shook his head to clear it, their bright red uniforms caught his eye, causing the pirate captain to curse as he took off in the opposite direction, trying not to attract attention. Once around the corner, Jack started looking around for a place to hide, spotting a closely bunched clump of bushes. Thanking whatever powers were looking out for him, Jack dove into them just as the soldiers came around the corner. Completely out of sight and holding his breath, Jack watched as they searched the street, but found no sign of their quarry.  
  
'Bloody hell, don't those people ever give up?' Jack thought as he watched the soldiers search the street again, praying that they wouldn't look in his bushes. Thankfully they didn't, and soon headed up the street and out of sight. Jack breathed a sigh of relief, then started checking for witnesses before getting out of the bushes. Once out, he brushed himself off, straightened up his hat and headed towards the Turner home.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
After avoiding two more clusters of soldiers, Jack staggered up the back steps of the Turner cottage, testing the door to see if it had been kept open for him. It was, so Jack slipped quietly inside, listening for any sounds. He smiled as he heard Elena talking to Elizabeth in the parlor, and snuck over to eavesdrop through the closed door. As he knelt near the keyhole to listen in, he was surprised to hear the woman he cared for sound as though she were in tears.  
  
"Oh, Elizabeth, it was horrible!" Elena's muffled voice said, seemingly on the verge of tears. "He was sitting there with all of those women around him, and he was hugging and kissing them! I thought I would die of shock right there!"  
  
Jack felt his heart speed up in panic. Elena had seen him in the tavern? She wasn't even supposed to know he was here! He frowned in thought; it was likely that Will or Elizabeth had told her about his arrival and departure from the house. Jack frowned again before focusing on the conversation coming through the keyhole.  
  
"Now Elena, please slow down!" Elizabeth was saying, sounding thoroughly confused. "I'm still trying to sort out what you've told me. You were a barmaid in Tortuga after losing your family and fortunes in a pirate attack, and were then hired as a cook by Jack for the Black Pearl. You were then kidnapped by another pirate captain and left here in Port Royal to make another life for yourself, soon becoming a chef in my home. And now you're telling me that, after spending months on the Black Pearl and getting to know Jack personally, you have developed feelings for him, and have just last night seen him associating with prostitutes?"  
  
"That would be correct," Elena softly confirmed to her employer, her voice sounding muffled, as though her nose were stuffed up. A brief moment of silence followed, as though Elizabeth were trying to absorb this new information quickly.  
  
Suddenly, a sigh sounded. "Alright, I think I understand the situation," Elizabeth said, sounding worn out. "But Elena, were you serious when you said that you have feelings for Jack? I mean, he is very popular with women. Perhaps you are just experiencing a bit of fascination in him?"  
  
Sniffles were heard. "I'm sure, Elizabeth," Elena's muffled voice said. The sound of sniffling was heard again, followed by the sound of her blowing her nose. "And now I've finally realized that Jack could never care for me the same way. I'd heard from other women in Tortuga what he was like, but after meeting and talking with him, I couldn't believe it. I had always though of their comments as something said by prostitutes to compare their customers, or brag about who they had managed to sleep with the night before. Until last night, I had thought that Jack was a decent, courteous, generous man who actually cared about me and my wellbeing. Now I realize that he's just like every other pirate in the sea." More sniffles were heard.  
  
Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing. Elena returned his feelings, but now sounded as though she were giving up on him! He couldn't let that happen. He had just won her over before she was taken from Tortuga, and had just found her again, only to lose her while getting drunk in a tavern and making a little mistake (well, maybe more than a little mistake, but it was an honest mistake)! It wasn't as though he had wanted female attention that night; it just seemed to happen whenever he walked into a tavern! Jack knew that he had to stop her before it was too late to change her mind.  
  
He stood up straight, neatening up his clothes, silently thankful that the hangover remedy had just now fully kicked in, and walked into the room. There sat Elena, her back to the door, with Elizabeth next to her on the couch, her hand clutching Elena's in a comforting way. Before Jack could so much as open his mouth, Elizabeth stood up and walked over to him.  
  
A slap echoed within the confines of the room.  
  
Jack stood there, his head turned to the side in response to the slap. Blinking in surprise, he tried to figure out what had happened. As he slowly turned his head back around, he saw Elizabeth glaring furiously at him, steam practically coming out of her ears. Just behind her left shoulder stood Elena, looking at Elizabeth in surprise before her light- brown eyes met Jack's. As the two stared at each other, Elena's eyes once again filled with tears. A split second later, Elena raced out of the room, Jack's gaze following her. A moment passed before a door slammed and Jack was jolted out of his shocked state of mind.  
  
"I may have deserved that," Jack whispered to himself, rubbing his face in pain and emotional hurt.  
  
"Of course you deserved that!" cried a furious Elizabeth, her eyes boring holes into Jack's skull in anger.  
  
Jack backed up a step; he had seen Elizabeth upset before, but had never had to brave the full impact of her anger. "Now, Elizabeth, let me explain," he began; he wasn't allowed to finish.  
  
"There's nothing for you to explain, Jack Sparrow!" Elizabeth snapped as she took one step forward, causing Jack to back up another step.  
  
Jack gulped, suddenly feeling panic swell up within him as Elizabeth kept stepping forward, forcing Jack to retreat backwards until he was met with the sudden impact of his back colliding with the wall. Now he was trapped, and Jack definitely did not like the feeling of being trapped between a wall and Elizabeth's fury.  
  
Elizabeth's eyes iced over as she stood toe to toe with Jack. "There's nothing for you to explain," she repeated as she glared up into his eyes, "because you are a worthless coward. You have unknowingly won the heart of a good and decent woman, only to have unknowingly torn it apart with your womanizing ways! She was willing to give you her heart, and it was a terrible thing that she saw you with those women before she told you of her feelings for her. Now she knows what a worthless pirate you really are!" Elizabeth then turned and left a speechless Jack standing there in the parlor, contemplating her harsh words.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Later that night, Jack lay in his cabin aboard the Black Pearl. He couldn't stay in the Turner house after what he had done to Elena, and he couldn't bear to face Elizabeth's temper. In the end, Jack had gone to Will's shop and told him what had happened the night before. Needless to say, Will was angry at the trouble and pain his friend had caused, but when Jack had told Will of his feelings for Elena, and that neither woman had stayed around long enough to listen to Jack's side of the story, Will had become more sympathetic. Will told his pirate friend that he would try and talk with the two women that night, and suggested that Jack go and spend the night on the Pearl to allow tempers to cool down.  
  
Now Jack lay in his bed, thinking over Elizabeth's cruel words. It was true that Jack enjoyed the pleasures of women, and that he had many broken hearts trailing behind him. However, Elena was different. She had captured his attention the moment he had seen her in Tortuga, serving drinks to drunken men from behind the bar. For some reason, Jack had felt compelled to hire her for the Pearl, even though there must have been several dozen other people in the town who could cook somewhat decent food. For some reason, Jack felt that this woman would be the answer to a lot of his problems, most of them having nothing to do with searching for a ship's cook. He had been looking for a girl to permanently call his own, but had never been able to find her. Until that time, Jack had tried to stall his search by sleeping with different women in every port, and it had worked fairly well...until that night.  
  
He had stepped into the Ragged Dog Inn, intending to get drunk, and had spotted the red-headed barmaid with the lovely soft-brown eyes behind the bar. That was when something clicked; he didn't know how, but he knew that that woman was the one for him, and that he had to win her over no matter what. From her well-spoken manner, he knew she didn't belong in Tortuga, or to its rough ways. Jack had then decided to appeal to her by using his charms and his knowledge of books. From the moment she has set eyes on his vast book collection and heard of his literary interests, he knew that he had hooked her attention and could almost feel her attraction to him. On her birthday, his gift to her had been more than a means of marking her as a member of the Pearl; it was Jack's personal claim on her, one that told others to keep their grimy hands off of Captain Jack Sparrow's bonny lass.  
  
Jack's eyes narrowed dangerously at that last thought. Elena was his bonny lass, no matter what anyone else thought. They were meant for each other, even though neither one had openly acknowledged the fact, nor admitted their feelings. Despite what Elizabeth thought, Jack did love Elena, he just had to tell his lass his feelings and get her to admit her feelings as well. But how was he going to do that? Elena was angry and hurt by his actions, and he sincerely doubted that Elizabeth would allow him back into her house after what he had done. So what could he possibly do to remedy the situation between him and his lass?  
  
It would be several hours before an idea came to him.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Late that night, after her employers had gone upstairs to bed, Elena sat in her room in the Turner home, feeling thoroughly depressed. She had only come out long enough to prepare a thick oyster chowder for the Turners' dinner and to leave them a note, telling them when it would be ready to eat. She had also mentioned that she would not be joining them, but would be there to wash up the dishes. Instead of eating with her friends, Elena had taken a pitcher of water, a glass, half a loaf of bread, some cheese, and some cold sliced meat to her room as her dinner. She had then shut her door, knowing that Will and Elizabeth would leave her alone with her thoughts.  
  
Elena glanced around and spied the dress she and Elizabeth had been working on that week lying draped over a chair. The dress was made from the crème cloth that Annamaria had given her on her birthday, and was decorated with most of the ribbons and lace that she had bought in Tortuga. The previous night, as she had walked around the slums of Port Royal before spotting Jack and his hussies in the tavern, Elena had held high hopes of showing the newly completed gown off to him, as she had promised before her kidnapping in Tortuga. Now there was no need to hold such a promise, and she could wear the gown whenever she wished. Jack held no such special place in her heart now.  
  
'That's a bloody lie,' a small part of her snapped in dismay. 'You still love that pirate no matter what you say. And do you remember what Will said earlier this evening?'  
  
Sighing, Elena stroked the beautiful dress. That small voice was right; she did still care for Jack, and that was what confused her. He had never spoken of his feelings for her, so why did she still feel as though he was meant for her? Earlier, when she had gone to the kitchen to wash the dinner dishes, Will had asked to speak with her.  
  
***Flashback***  
  
"I really wish you would give Jack another chance, Elena," Will said, leaning against the counter. "He really is a good man."  
  
"He may be a good man, Will, but he's still a pirate," Elena replied, wiping her last dish with the drying rag. "Besides, pirates are a cruel batch of people with no emotions whatsoever."  
  
"How can you say that after living on the Black Pearl for six months?" Will asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "Didn't they treat you well there? I know Jack only picks the best of the best for his crewmembers." After waiting a moment to let his words sink in, Will patted her on the shoulder. "At least try to hear his side of the story. He deserves that much, at least." He then turned and left the kitchen, leaving her alone with her thoughts.  
  
***End Flashback***  
  
Elena sighed again before folding the gown up carefully and storing it in her closet. She had barely closed the wardrobe door before a muffled 'thud' behind her attracted her attention, causing her to momentarily stiffen in surprise. Whirling around, she was suddenly met with a cloth rag loosely covering her eyes, nose, and mouth. A few breaths later, Elena felt the world darken around her.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It was after midnight that Jack decided to carry out his carefully formulated his plan. As soon as the moon rose, Jack and six crewmates rowed their rowboat towards the docks of Port Royal. Jack had chosen six of his best crewmates: Mr. Gibbs, Annamaria, and the four Black brothers, Jacob, Flint, Marcus, and Richard. Although Annamaria didn't particularly agree with his plan, Jack knew that she wanted Elena back on the Pearl as much as he did. The two women had grown close over the months, and Annamaria had nearly beheaded Sally after finding out that the blond had lied about not knowing Elena's whereabouts. The others went along because they wanted their crewmember back on the Pearl, and to make sure that Jack's plan would succeed in getting their favorite red-head back. Jack's plan was simple and fairly harmless. If all went rights, no one would be hurt, and everyone would end up happy in the end.  
  
Once they had safely landed and hidden the small boat, the seven then headed towards the Turner home. They then snuck through the streets of Port Royal, silent as fog, slipping past the naval soldiers unnoticed. Finally, they arrived at the Turner home. The bottom section of the house was almost completely dark. There was one bedroom at the back of the house, which was dimly lit. Jack knew that this room was Elena's, and he could see her figure walking around the room. There was one room upstairs that was also dimly lit, but it was quite out of Jack's mind. That was Will and Elizabeth's room, and if things went right, the two wouldn't even notice what had happened until it was too late.  
  
Jack signaled to his crewmates, and the seven of them snuck up to the back door. Jack then reached between two loose bricks and plucked out the spare key. Will had told him about it earlier, thinking that Jack might want to visit the house at a later time when no one was home. Jack hated having to break into his friend's house, but he had no choice. He left the four Black brothers outside to keep watch, signaling for Annamaria and Gibbs to follow him.  
  
Two minutes later, the three pirates stood outside Elena's room. Annamaria quietly cracked the door open and peaked inside, signaling to the others to move quickly. The Jack and Gibbs moved inside and saw that Elena's back was turned towards them. As they moved into position, the door opened all the way, softly colliding with the wall, making a dull 'thud.' Elena's figure froze for a moment, which gave Jack enough time to draw out his cloth handkerchief. As Elena turned around, Jack covered her face, letting the sleeping potion do its work. A few seconds later, Elena collapsed into Jack's waiting arms. The pirate captain signaled to Annamaria and Mr. Gibbs, who began searching the room and began packing her belongings into some cloth sacks they had found under the bed, as well as ones they had brought.  
  
Once they were finished packing, Annamaria reached into her belt, pulling out a bag of money and a note, which she set on the desk, clearly addressed to their two friends. The note explained Jack's actions, and the money was for Will and Elizabeth to hire a new maid and cook. Jack felt terrible about depriving his two friends of such a fine employee, but it couldn't be helped; he needed Elena more than Will and Elizabeth did, and if things worked out, Jack would bring Elena back to train up a new cook. Until then, Elena was his.  
  
Another signal gathered Annamaria and Gibbs to Jack's side as he swung Elena into his arms, carrying her bridal style, her head resting on his right shoulder, near his neck. Jack could feel her breath falling hot on his neck. He nearly fell over from the erotic sensation, but managed to keep his head (barely). As they left through the back door, Jack signaled to Flint Black to lock up the door, which he did. The three other Blacks offered to carry Elena for him, but one look from Jack made them hold their hands up in surrender; there was obviously no way to separate the woman from her captor while he was still alive. The seven pirates once again stole through the streets of Port Royal and slipped into their hidden rowboat, heading back to the Pearl.  
  
An hour later, with Elena safely in his arms, Jack and his crew were pulled onboard. Once on deck, the Captain yelled orders for them to weigh anchor as Annamaria and Gibbs left Elena's things in the Captain's cabin before setting off to work.  
  
After giving his orders and feeling fully content for the first time in his life, Jack headed down below to his cabin, his bonny lass in his arms.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Long chapter this time! I put a lot of work into this, and it might be my best chapter yet! Anyway, finals are over, and Spring Break is coming up, so updates will be more frequent. Please show your love and support by leaving a review! Thank you! 


	12. Awakenings, Proposals, and Justice

Disclaimer: See previous chapters and stories.  
  
AN: Okay, so I didn't update as much as I said I would (thanks to a surprise family vacation my dad sprang on us). Now I'm updating, so you can all stop throwing sharp swords and firing cannons at me. Anyway, wow, a lot of people don't want a "loving" chapter (meaning a very intimate night between Jack and Elena). So, to keep with the PG-13 rating of this story, there will be NO LOVING CHAPTER in this story. If you want one, I'll put it up on its own so that people can read it, savvy? Also, people have noticed that Jack likes kidnapping people. I should remind you that he is a pirate, after all, and I couldn't think of another way for him to deal with the fact that Elena was pissed off and wouldn't talk to him. Therefore, kidnapping was the only thing he could think of that wouldn't harm any innocent people. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!  
  
Chapter 12: Awakenings, Proposals, and Justice:  
  
Elena woke up with a slight headache and a spout of dizziness. As she tried to focus her eyes on the opposite wall, she saw that it was rocking back and forth. Groaning from the dizziness, she fell back onto the pillows of the bed.  
  
'Wait a moment," she thought. 'Where did this bed come from? And why was the wall rocking?' She jerked up to a sitting position at that last thought.  
  
Rocking! Rocking walls meant only one thing  
  
'I'm on ship in the middle of the Caribbean,' she thought with fear and dread.  
  
Elena took a deep breath, trying to steady her aching head and dizziness while attempting to analyze the situation, calmly and rationally. Thanks to the six months she had spent on the Pearl, she knew for sure that she was at sea, due to the rhythm of the ship's rocking. A closer look at her surroundings indicated that she was once again in the Captain's cabin, and an even closer look told her which ship she was now on: the Black Pearl. She would recognize Jack Sparrow's cabin anywhere, considering they had spent so much time in it discussing books and getting to know one another. For now, that was all she knew about the present situation. If she wanted to know anything else, she would have to talk to someone (preferably Jack).  
  
Looking at the nightstand next to the bed, she saw a blue china pitcher with moisture dewed on the side, indicating that there was something cold and liquid inside it. She poured a bit of its contents into a wooden cup, which had been situated next to the pitcher, and was happy to see it was water. Filling the cup up the rest of the way, Elena quickly drank down the contents and poured another glass, drinking that down as well. After emptying the pitcher, Elena felt fine, though still a little dizzy. As she regained her mental balance, she headed for the door, listening intently to see if anyone was outside. She stiffened when she heard Annamaria and Mr. Gibbs standing outside the door, apparently standing guard over her. Elena knelt down and leaned forward, her ear pressed against the door crack, listening intently for information about the situation.  
  
"How long is the lass supposed to sleep?" Mr. Gibbs grumbled, shifting slightly. "She's been out since last night, and it's after noon! Is she supposed to sleep for twelve hours?"  
  
"I think Jack used too much of that sleeping drug," Annamaria said, sounding extremely cross. "I told him it was a bad idea to kidnap her, but does he ever listen? Of course he doesn't; he just goes and does it anyway!"  
  
Mr. Gibbs chuckled. "Well, ye have to admit, it was the only way to get her to hear his side of the story," he said. "I've never seen the Cap'n so attached to a lass before."  
  
Elena sat by the door in shock. Jack had kidnapped her just so he could explain himself? Was the man insane? She cracked a small smile. Of course he was, considering the amounts of rum the man consumed on an hourly basis. However, that was no excuse. He had no right to take her from Port Royal, especially after she had worked so hard to find such a wonderful job with such wonderful people! Sighing silently to herself, Elena leaned closer to the door, hoping to get more information by eavesdropping. She heard the two crewmembers suddenly shift positions.  
  
"Cap'n!" Mr. Gibbs suddenly exclaimed. "Shouldn't ye be at the helm?"  
  
"I've got Roberts at the helm, Gibbs, don't worry," came Jack's familiar husky voice. "How's me bonny lass?"  
  
"I think she's still sleepin'," Annamaria replied. "It's been extremely quiet in there all day. I think that ye may have used too much of that potion when ye took her."  
  
A moment of silence followed, making Elena think that Jack was considering the female pirate's words. She was soon rewarded with his reply.  
  
"Ye may be right, Anna," came the response. "Keep an eye and ear open, and let me know when she wakes up."  
  
"Aye, sir," the two pirates said.  
  
Elena felt another spout of dizziness hit her and decided that she'd done enough eavesdropping for the day. After she stood up, she started moving cautiously towards the bed, taking one small step at a time. None too soon, Elena lay herself down on the bed and quickly passed out.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The next time she awoke she felt a soft, cool, wet cloth on her forehead. Her eyes fluttering open, she was instantly met with a familiar chocolate brown gaze. A golden smile glittered down at her.  
  
"How are ye feeling, luv?" Jack asked, clearly concerned about her. His concern was ignored.  
  
SLAP!  
  
Jack blinked in surprise as he turned to face forward. He looked down at Elena. "I may have deserved that," he said, rubbing his face.  
  
"That was for kidnapping me!" Elena cried.  
  
SLAP!  
  
Jack again blinked in surprise and once again returned his head to its normal position. "I'm not sure I deserved that one, though, luv," he said, rubbing his face once again.  
  
"That was for kissing another woman!" Elena cried, tears in her eyes as she turned away from him and began sobbing into the pillows.  
  
"No, no, no, luv, please don't cry!" Jack said, reaching out for her. He kept hold on her even though she tried to pull away. "Please, luv, let me explain what happened!"  
  
"Explain what?!" she cried, turning to face him.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Jack felt his heart break at the sight of her red, puffy, tear-filled eyes. "Just give me a chance, luv, please?" he begged, waving his hands around in his usual odd manner. His dark eyes pleaded with her, asking her to just hear him out.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It was his eyes that startled her the most as she stared at the handsome pirate captain. His already dark brown eyes had darkened, their depths filled with a deep sort of pleading and sadness that she had never seen in him before. This change in his eyes caused him to appear more sensitive than he ever had before.  
  
Elena blinked. A sensitive pirate? Those two words simply did not belong together in the same sentence! "Jack," she began, but was cut off.  
  
"Please, luv, I'm begging ye to just listen," he begged, once again waving his arms around.  
  
Elena simply stared at him. She couldn't believe that he was actually begging her to listen to him. Captain Jack Sparrow never begged anyone for anything! She was so surprised at the change in his personality that all she could do was nod.  
  
Breathing a sigh of relief, Jack was quiet for a few moments before beginning his side of the story.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Jack couldn't believe his luck! The day had started out fairly well, but it had taken a turn for the worst (especially that afternoon, when he had found out that Elena wasn't awake). When the sun had begun to set and Elena still hadn't woken up, Jack had felt like beheading Annamaria and Gibbs for not keeping a closer eye on her, but eventually decided that they would be more useful alive. Instead, Jack had sent the two pirates back to their normal duties before heading to his cabin, calling for cool water and a rag to wipe Elena's face and hopefully wake her up. He was overjoyed when she had woken up, but was shocked when she had slapped him, twice. Desperate for her understanding, the pirate captain had begged her to listen, just once, to his story, and was thoroughly relieved when she had nodded her head. Jack took a deep breath and began his story.  
  
He told of finding out about Sally cooperating with Captain Green in order to get Elena kidnapped and taken away from him and the Pearl, and of how he had encountered troubles with Mother Nature and ship problems in Tortuga. Jack continued with how he had sailed into Port Royal with the intention of asking his old friends, Will and Elizabeth Turner, for help in finding her, and had ended up finding Elena right under his very nose! Finally, Jack began telling why he had gone into Port Royal's underbelly.  
  
"Elena, when I'd heard that ye'd been kidnapped by that scum-sucking Captain Green, I felt like slicing him with a knife before feeding him to the sharks," Jack said, anger and desperation flashing in his eyes. "After I'd gotten Sally thrown into the brig without getting any information out of her, I knew that I would search the Seven Seas for ye, no matter where ye were."  
  
Confusion flashed in Elena's eyes. "Why?" she asked, tilting her head to the side in puzzlement. "Why would you come after a girl you've only known for six months?"  
  
Jack licked his lips nervously. "Because I care more about ye than any woman in my life," he said, looking down at his hands. "After seeing how happy ye were with Will and Elizabeth, I thought that it would be best to leave ye with them, where ye'd be safe from harm. I felt that a pirate ship was no place fer a lady like ye, and I thought it would be best fer ye to remain in Port Royal, where ye could marry some nice gentleman who could provide a good life fer ye."  
  
Jack stopped for a moment as he reached out with one of his hands and took one of hers. Looking up, he saw Elena looking at him strangely, but was pleased when she didn't make any move to remove her hand from his. He was relieved when she nodded for him to continue his story.  
  
"After seeing ye moving around Will and Elizabeth's fancy kitchen, I did the only thing I could think of to get rid of my depression," he said, frowning as he looked at their linked hands. "I went to the taverns to get drunk, and to try and forget how much I cared about ye so that it wouldn't hurt so much. I never wanted those women to come over; I never wanted any female companionship except for ye. When they started sitting on my lap, well, I did what any man usually did in that position, at first."  
  
Jack felt her hand start to jerk out of his, but he kept a tight grip on it. There was no way he was letting go of her now, especially when he intended to tell her everything that had happened that night in Port Royal.  
  
"I should let ye know that after two minutes of their company, I sent the whole lot of them off to someone else," he said as he looked firmly into her eyes, still gripping her hand tightly. "Whatever ye saw, I was drunk, and wasn't thinking at that time. If I was thinking, it was of ye, and it was because of ye that I sent them off and spent the night alone. If ye want proof of that, I'll turn this ship around and ye can ask those prostitutes and the innkeeper if ye want. I'm willing to face Commodore Norrington and the Royal Navy so that I can prove how much I love ye."  
  
"What?" she asked, her eyes wide. "What did you just say?"  
  
Jack sighed. "I said that I was thinking of ye the whole time, and that..." She cut him off.  
  
"No, I mean that last part," she looked him in the eyes. "The last three words that you said."  
  
Jack smiled. "I said that I love ye," he whispered as his dark brown eyes bore into her light brown ones.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Elena couldn't believe it. Captain Jack Sparrow was in love with her! Elena stared blankly into his dark eyes as she tried to make her brain function beyond that one thought. She then realized that she had been silent for quite some time, and that Jack was beginning to look a bit worried. Smiling, she squeezed Jack's hand as she spoke.  
  
"I love you, too, Jack," she whispered.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Jack felt worried when she hadn't responded to his confession, but felt like jumping for joy when she admitted to feeling the same way for him. He immediately leaned forward and grabbed her, pulling her into his lap, smiling as she squealed in surprise. Still smiling, Jack pulled his lass into a heartfelt, passionate kiss, feeling her melt underneath his touch. After several minutes of kissing, caressing, and hugging each other, and with Elena still situated in his lap, Jack decided to make the most daring move of his life. Pulling a small red box out of his pocket, he opened it to reveal a lovely black pearl the size of her pinky fingernail, set in gold and surrounded by tiny alternating white and yellow diamonds. Elena gasped.  
  
"Elena, luv, will ye marry me?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Elena looked up at him in surprise. This man never ceased in surprising her. Today, she had received more surprises than she would normally get in a year, and yet he still managed to make her heart flutter in surprise! However, this was beyond a mere surprise; this was downright shocking. A pirate captain (and not just any pirate captain, but Captain Jack Sparrow, to say the least) was asking for her to marry him! Hell must have frozen over, and if it had, she had better start expecting other impossible things to come true!  
  
"Luv?" Jack said, waving his hand in front of her face, concern and hope written across his face. "Are ye alright, luv?"  
  
Elena smiled up at him before kissing him on the nose. "I'm fine, Jack," she said, reaching up to stroke his hair.  
  
Jack reached up and grabbed her hand. "Easy on the goods, darling," he said, grinning. "And ye never answered my question."  
  
Elena chuckled. "Yes, Jack Sparrow, I will marry you," she said, grinning up at him.  
  
"Good," Jack said, grinning as he placed the ring on her left ring-finger before kissing her again. The kissing went on for several more minutes before Jack stopped it. "Now the remaining question is: what do we do with Sally?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
After several moments of pondering, and after listening to Elena's stomach growl from lack of food, Jack had sent for some dinner, reluctantly releasing her from his grip so that she could take a seat next to him at the table. Thankfully, after Jack had dismissed her from guard duty, Annamaria had cooked dinner for the crew, which consisted of lobster stew and some fried potatoes. As Gibbs and Annamaria left the two dinner trays on the Captain's desk, they both noticed the ring on Elena's left hand. Not saying one word, the two pirates had quickly turned to leave, eager to tell the crew the good news. However, they were stopped before they even got to the door of the cabin.  
  
"Wait a minute!" Jack called out to the two, motioning for them to come back over. He saw the eager expression on their faces. "No telling the crew about me and my bonny lass, savvy? I'll tell them when I'm good and ready, not before." The two crewmembers nodded in disappointment before they turned and left the two lovebirds to themselves.  
  
After they had finished dinner, Jack picked up his fiancée and once again placed her in his lap. He then began caressing her hand and running his fingers over the engagement ring, as though reassuring himself that it was still there. "Well, luv, what do we do with that blonde wench that we've got down in the brig?" he asked, pulling her closer. She turned towards him with an amused expression on her face.  
  
"You put Sally in the brig?" she asked, extremely amused at the idea. "How long has she been down there?"  
  
Jack shrugged. "A day or two, lass, no more than that," he said, patting her hand. "I locked her up when she said she didn't know where ye were."  
  
Elena looked confused. "But she did know where I was, Jack," she said. "I saw her in Port Royal several days ago. She most definitely knew where I was."  
  
A frown settled on Jack's face. "So the wretch lied to the great Captain Jack Sparrow, did she?" he asked. "We'll have to take that into consideration. Now, answer my question, luv: what do we do with her? Should the crew and I deal with her for messing with one of our crewmembers, or would ye like to pass pirate judgment on her, since she is the one that had ye kidnapped?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Elena was quiet for a moment as she thought. "I'd like to pass judgment on her, Jack," she replied. Jack nodded before having them both stand up.  
  
"If yer going to pass judgment on her, lass, I'll go and gather the crew so that they can all witness it," he said, kissing her hand. "Ye might want to change into something clean. Yer clothes are in the wardrobe over there," he pointed to the opposite side of the cabin, "so feel free to change while I gather the crew." With those last words, he turned and left, giving Elena some time to make herself presentable to the crew.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
An hour later, the entire crew of the Black Pearl was gathered on deck. Jack and Elena (now dressed in a plain, but clean, green gown) stood at the helm, waiting for the four Black brothers to bring Sally up from the brig. They could all hear Sally yelling and screaming as she was dragged out on deck to face her punishment. The crew formed a semi-circle around her, forcing her to turn and look up at the helm.  
  
"Sally, ye have committed a terrible deed by kidnapping a member of the Black Pearl," Jack said, rage dripping from his words as he stared down at the blonde. "Ye have also lied about not knowing where Elena was. I warned ye not to lie to me, and ye did it anyway. Now, there are two ways to deal with this. One is that the crew decides as a whole what sort of punishment to deal out on ye. The other is to let the offended person seek their own personal revenge on ye for messing with their lives. As it so happens, Elena wants to have her own personal touch on yer life, so listen carefully to what she has to say." The entire ship turned towards Elena, who stepped forward to the front of the helm.  
  
"Sally, I have never done any wrong to you in the past, so I do not understand the reason for your actions," Elena said, looking down at the other woman. "You have caused pain not only to me, but also to the Captain of the ship, as well as his crewmembers. However, I am willing to have mercy on you and will judge the only way I can." She turned towards Jack. "I wish for her to be taken to another island port where she may etch out another living for herself. Preferably a port where she will never be able to cause pain and suffering for another person."  
  
The crew murmured among themselves, somewhat displeased at the course of action being taken. However, they quieted down when Jack waved for their attention.  
  
"Ye'll have yer wish, lass," Jack loudly declared, grinning. "Turns out I have a friend in Haiti that could use another pair of hands in his business. He'll take good care of Sally, and keep her out of trouble while keeping a good eye on her." He grinned even wider. "Best of all, he's got several sons that can look after Sally after he passes on, so there'll be no worries there."  
  
"What sort of business does he run, Cap'n?" someone called out.  
  
Jack grinned savagely. "He runs a fishery," he said. "You know, catching, cleaning, and gutting fish. It should be good work for ye, Sally." The entire crew began to laugh. "Alright, then, take her back down to the brig and keep her there until we get to Haiti in two weeks time. The rest of ye, weigh anchor and hoist the sails! We're off to Haiti!"  
  
The crew cheered the news, even as Sally began ranting as she was carried off. The crew immediately began doing their work as Jack signaled for Annamaria to take the wheel. He then wrapped his arm around Elena and guided her down below so that they could get started on their wedding plans.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: This story is almost over! Sorry for the short notice, but there's one more chapter left. After that, I'll be writing a whole new story, mostly because I really don't feel like doing a sequel to this one. I've got two storylines in my head, and one of them is a Will/OC romance story. The other is, of course, a Jack/OC story. I might do the Will/OC, just for a change of pace, but I'd like to know if people will read it. Let me know which one I should write, I'd like to hear your opinions. Don't forget to review! 


	13. Epilogue

Disclaimer: See previous chapters and stories.  
  
AN: Quick update for this last chapter! Thanks for sticking with me throughout this whole thing. I hope that you enjoyed reading, and I hope that you'll read my next story!  
  
Chapter 13: Epilogue:  
  
Jack and Elena couldn't be happier than they were at this very moment.  
  
After they had dropped Sally off in Haiti with the fishery owner, the Pearl had immediately headed back to Port Royal to pick up the Turners so they could attend the wedding. Jack had also had his crew pick up some fancy food and drinks to be served after the ceremony, and had even picked up a previously signed document from a priest, lawfully declaring their marriage. When Elena asked why the priest hadn't come to perform the ceremony and sign the certificate after the wedding, Jack had stated that the priest had refused to marry two pirates and sign the marriage document. So, in order to make the marriage valid, Jack had held a pistol to the priest's head and forced him to sign the document ahead of time. All they had to do was have Mr. Gibbs perform the ceremony, and they would be all set.  
  
Now, five weeks after Jack had kidnapped Elena from Port Royal, the two were ready to get married.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Inside the captain's cabin aboard the Black Pearl (which sat anchored ten miles away from Port Royal to avoid Commodore Norrington's attention), Elena nervously smoothed her gown. It was the dress she had made from the cloth Annamaria had given her, and of the things she had bought in Tortuga. The sleeves hung loosely from her arms, silvery lace and ribbons glittering along the edges. The bodice showed enough cleavage to tantalize the groom, but was still modest enough to suite the reserved nature of the bride. A glittering, complicated necklace design of gold and diamonds was fastened around her neck, and a small matching tiara was perched on her head, holding a white veil in place over her face. Elena took another deep breath as Elizabeth patted her hand in assurance.  
  
Several minutes later, Elena stood ready at the door of the cabin, waiting for Will to come and escort her up to the helm, where Jack awaited her with Mr. Gibbs. After checking her dress for wrinkles, she looked up and saw Will, smiling reassuringly at her. He offered her his arm and the two headed up towards the helm. Once there, Elena felt her jaw drop and was thankful that Jack couldn't see her expression through the veil.  
  
The pirate captain was absolutely dashing. He wore brand new black boots and pants. His black sash, also new, overlapped his pristine white shirt. Over his white shirt and black sash, Jack wore a black vest with black ebony buttons. A new black bandana over his hair brought out the silver charms and white bones in his hair, and the entire outfit made him look handsome, mysterious, and dangerous. In short, Jack was the picture of what a pirate captain should look like. He grinned when she appeared, his gold teeth sparkling in the sunlight.  
  
After Elena had taken her place at Jack's left in front of Mr. Gibbs, she turned and let Will lift the veil from her face. As he finished settling the veil, the young blacksmith gave her a chaste peck on the forehead, giving her a quick good-luck wink as he turned her to face Jack. The look on the pirate captain's face was priceless when he saw his bride in all her elegant glory. The two were silent as they stared at each other, taking in the wondrous sight of the other. Their awe was broken when Mr. Gibbs cleared his throat.  
  
"Uh, we are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Captain Jack Sparrow to his bonny lass, Elena Marks," Mr. Gibbs began. He was cut off when the crew began cheering loudly. Jack turned around and waved at the crew for silence before motioning for Gibbs to continue. Gibbs coughed again before continuing.  
  
"As I was saying, to witness the marriage of our great captain to this here lovely lady," Gibbs said. He was interrupted once again, though by his captain this time.  
  
"Why don't we speed this up a bit, Gibbs, what do ye say?" Jack whispered to him, his eyes indicating that he was getting impatient with the ceremony already.  
  
"Aye, sir," Gibbs said with a small sigh. "Do ye, Cap'n Jack Sparrow, take this lovely lass to be yer wife, fer richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love ferever?"  
  
"I do," Jack said, looking lovingly into Elena's eyes, causing her to blush.  
  
"And do ye, Elena Marks, take this pirate captain to be yer husband, fer richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love ferever?" Gibbs asked.  
  
"I do," she replied softly, smiling at Jack, causing him to grin in response.  
  
"Then by the power granted to me by this here captain, I now pronounce ye man and wife," Gibbs said, grinning wildly. "Ye may now kiss the bride, Cap'n."  
  
"Finally!" Jack exclaimed. He quickly reached out and grabbed Elena by the waist, pulling her into a long and passionate kiss as the crew shouted and let off pistol shots. Still kissing his new wife, Jack absently waved his hand at the crew, signaling for them to begin the reception. The crew cheered again as they headed below for the food and alcohol. Will, Elizabeth, and Mr. Gibbs quickly followed, leaving the two Sparrows kissing at the helm.  
  
Several minutes passed before the kiss was broken, and even then it was for the new couple to regain their breath. Finally, the two separated, though Jack still kept a tight hold on Elena.  
  
"Well, luv, how do ye like being Mrs. Jack Sparrow?" he asked, grinning like a cat who has just finished off the cream.  
  
"I like it very much, Mr. Sparrow," Elena replied, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I also like this new clean look of yours. Black really is your color, Jack. You should wear it more often."  
  
"Only for ye, lass," Jack said, giving her a quick peck on the lips. That quick peck quickly turned into more serious kissing, but the two were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. The two turned to see Will standing there, a grin on his face.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt, but Elizabeth reminded me that there was something we needed to tell you," Will said, his eyes sparkling in amusement.  
  
"Then hurry up and say it, whelp, the wife and I are busy," Jack growled, glaring threateningly at his friend. Elena snickered as Will rolled his eyes.  
  
"Well, ten days before you picked us up in Port Royal, Commodore Norrington had been called out to sea to deal with a pirate vessel," Will said. "It was destroyed by the Navy, and its crew was led to the prison and is likely to be shipped off to a prison colony in the Americas in a few weeks."  
  
"And this is important to us because...?" Jack said, getting impatient.  
  
"The name of the vessel was the Blue Star, with Captain Green as its leader," Will said, grinning. "I just thought you should know." He turned and headed down below. The two Sparrows stared after him.  
  
"Well, that was interesting," Jack said, raising an eyebrow as he hugged her tighter.  
  
"Indeed," Elena said, leaning her head against his chest. As she did so, she realized that the front of his shirt was slightly open. She rested her cheek against the exposed bit of skin, listening to his breathing.  
  
The couple was silent as they stood on the deck of the Pearl, listening to each other's breathing as they held the other in their arms. They had spent about an hour like that before turning to head downstairs to join the festivities.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
The next morning, Jack ordered that the Pearl would have a day off so everyone could recover from the night before (especially after so much rum and alcohol had been consumed). After a day of hangovers and headaches, the Pearl returned to Port Royal to let Will and Elizabeth off and to restock its stores. When those tasks had been completed, the Pearl headed out into the open sea.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Two years later, as Jack stood at the helm of the Pearl, watching the sun set, he realized that he was the luckiest man in the world. Not only did he have a great ship and a faithful crew to go along with it, he also had the most beautiful wife in the world. Best of all was that the crew loved her almost as much as he did ('almost' being the key word), and that they had added one more member to the crew.  
  
As he calmly steered the Pearl towards the horizon, Jack felt a tug on his breeches. Looking down, he found a pair of sparkling dark brown eyes staring up at him.  
  
Jack grinned. "Well, lass, what are ye doing up here?" Jack asked the little red-haired girl before picking her up. The girl giggled as she reached up and began to playfully tug on his beard.  
  
Finally letting go, she grinned up at her father. She pointed towards the wheel.  
  
"Ah," Jack said, understanding his daughter's meaning. "Can't get enough of handling the wheel, now, can ye?" The little girl giggled again before pointing at the wheel, emphasizing the message. Still holding his young daughter, Jack turned her towards the wheel. He then placed the little girl's hands on one spoke while his other hand took the other. Together, the two of them began steering the Pearl.  
  
"Cap'n, is it wise fer Kira to be steering the ship at this young age?" Annamaria called from just below the helm. "She's a bit small fer captaining."  
  
"Kira's doing just fine, Anna," Jack said, smiling at his daughter, who turned to grin up at him, joy evident on her small, chubby face and in her brown eyes. "She'll make a great captain of the Black Pearl, don't ye think?"  
  
"That she will," said another voice. Elena walked up to join her husband and daughter at the wheel. Once there, she took Kira into her arms, letting her daughter keep hold of a wheel spoke. This allowed Jack to keep hold of another spoke while wrapping his free arm around his wife.  
  
"Aye," the dark pirate woman said, winking at Kira.  
  
The little girl gave her a small smile and a wave as she and her parents steered the ship, heading towards the horizon.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: The end! I hoped that you enjoyed this story, and that you will read the others I plan to write! I'd like to thank everyone for their reviews and love and support. I hope that you'll tune in next time for another "Pirates of the Caribbean" fic! Thanks again, and keep an eye out for another story, coming soon! 


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